decompose

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.

Despite recycling efforts, most plastic ends up in landfills where it can take centuries to decompose, leaching out chemicals during that time, Deeney said.

From Barron's • Jan. 26, 2026

New research has identified a straightforward and environmentally friendly way to decompose Teflon, one of the most resilient plastics in use today, and convert it into valuable chemical ingredients.

From Science Daily • Nov. 27, 2025

The shells serve a dual purpose — one that is functional, as they decompose to improve the soil quality, and another formal, reflecting moonlight in the evening.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 4, 2025

It is used in solving antibiotic resistance and to image enzymes that can decompose plastics.

From BBC • Oct. 9, 2024

For example, they had to figure out how to decompose a continuous utterance into speech units, regardless of whether those units were taken as words, syllables, or phonemes.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond