deteriorate
verb (used with or without object)
to make or become worse or inferior in condition, character, quality, value, etc.
were deteriorating
-
past progressiveof deteriorate.past progressive
Used to describe an ongoing action or continuous state that was happening at a specific time in the past.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Attorney General Ken Paxton sued Xcel in December arguing that inspections in the weeks before the fire showed some of the poles were deteriorating.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 22, 2026
The sanctuary said they had been left with no choice when it came to the ageing big cats, which they said had "serious health conditions that were not treatable and were deteriorating".
From BBC ● Nov. 6, 2025
Dan Child, chief pilot for the LAFD, was only a few hours into his shift that first day when he realized conditions were deteriorating fast.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 15, 2025
On July 25, after a fire broke out there, the ministries of environment and health issued a warning that the silos were deteriorating.
From New York Times ● Aug. 4, 2022
The photo-cell banks were deteriorating more rapidly than had seemed likely.
From "I, Robot" by Isaac Asimov
