eroded; eroding
Synonyms of erodenext

transitive verb

1
: to diminish or destroy by degrees:
a
: to eat into or away by slow destruction of substance (as by acid, infection, or cancer)
b
: to wear away by the action of water, wind, or glacial ice
The flooding eroded the hillside.
c
: to cause to deteriorate or disappear as if by eating or wearing away
inflation eroding buying power
2
: to produce or form by eroding
glaciers erode U-shaped valleys

intransitive verb

: to undergo erosion
where the land has eroded away
erodible adjective

Examples of erode in a Sentence

Crashing waves have eroded the cliffs along the beach. The shoreline has eroded badly.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Visible failures of short-term extractive logic, whether in business or politics, erode intellectual cover. Steve Denning, Forbes.com, 3 Aug. 2026 In the 1970s, New York City enacted a zoning regulation targeted at protecting the fast-eroding industrial base. Shawn Tully, Fortune, 2 Aug. 2026 Moore, meanwhile, spoke of public frustration with the government’s response to dramatic changes in the workforce, driven by advances in artificial intelligence that could erode entry-level work that has long helped young people start their careers. ABC News, 1 Aug. 2026 But in all cases, their leadership was eroded by deep structural forces, especially the impact of Brexit. Garret Martin, The Conversation, 31 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for erode

Word History

Etymology

Latin erodere to eat away, from e- + rodere to gnaw — more at rodent

First Known Use

1612, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of erode was in 1612

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Erode.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/erode. Accessed 5 Aug. 2026.

Kids Definition

eroded; eroding
1
a
: to destroy gradually by chemical means : corrode
b
: to wear away by or as if by the action of water, wind, or glacial ice
2
: to undergo erosion
Etymology

from Latin erodere "to eat away," from e- "away" and rodere "to gnaw" — related to rodent

Medical Definition

eroded; eroding
1
: to eat into or away by slow destruction of substance (as by acid, infection, or cancer)
acids that erode the teeth
bone eroded by cancer
2
: to remove with an abrasive
a dental tool that erodes the decayed area

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