putrefy
verb
pu·tre·fy
ˈpyü-trə-ˌfī 
putrefied; putrefying
: to make putrid
: to undergo putrefaction
Examples of putrefy in a Sentence
we traced the bad smell to a dead skunk putrefying under the house
Recent Examples on the Web
Because lose-lose situations are so endemic to the genre, a hint of relief can sometimes accompany the prospect of surrender to the putrefying mob.
—
Katy Waldman, New Yorker, 9 Aug. 2025
Fast-forward to now, and the scene has putrefied into a wasteland of the percussive undead.
—Kieran Press-Reynolds, Pitchfork, 2 July 2025
But those explicit depictions underscore the many points McCartney and McLennan are trying to make about how misogyny putrefies society.
—Alexis Gunderson, Vulture, 8 Oct. 2024
It was designed to hold 20 bodies but on this day held 28 — the putrefied remains testifying to two dozen shattered dreams of reaching the United States.
—Arelis R. Hernández, Washington Post, 1 Mar. 2024
Mules killed in the assault putrefied and attracted swarms of maggots.
—Trip Gabriel, New York Times, 12 Jan. 2024
Just as fruit and meats left untouched began to rot and putrefy, dregs and undigested material inside the body turned poisonous if not expelled.
—Meg Leja, Smithsonian Magazine, 10 Nov. 2023
Just as fruit and meats left untouched began to rot and putrefy, so did dregs and undigested material inside the body turn poisonous if not expelled.
—Discover Magazine, 7 Nov. 2023
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Katy Waldman, New Yorker, 9 Aug. 2025
Fast-forward to now, and the scene has putrefied into a wasteland of the percussive undead.
—Kieran Press-Reynolds, Pitchfork, 2 July 2025
But those explicit depictions underscore the many points McCartney and McLennan are trying to make about how misogyny putrefies society.
—Alexis Gunderson, Vulture, 8 Oct. 2024
It was designed to hold 20 bodies but on this day held 28 — the putrefied remains testifying to two dozen shattered dreams of reaching the United States.
—Arelis R. Hernández, Washington Post, 1 Mar. 2024
Mules killed in the assault putrefied and attracted swarms of maggots.
—Trip Gabriel, New York Times, 12 Jan. 2024
Just as fruit and meats left untouched began to rot and putrefy, dregs and undigested material inside the body turned poisonous if not expelled.
—Meg Leja, Smithsonian Magazine, 10 Nov. 2023
Just as fruit and meats left untouched began to rot and putrefy, so did dregs and undigested material inside the body turn poisonous if not expelled.
—Discover Magazine, 7 Nov. 2023
Cite this Entry
“Putrefy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/putrefy. Accessed 28 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
putrefy
verb
pu·tre·fy
ˈpyü-trə-ˌfī
putrefied; putrefying
: to make or become putrid : rot sense 1a
Medical Definition
putrefy
verb
pu·tre·fy
ˈpyü-trə-ˌfī
putrefied; putrefying
: to make putrid
: to undergo putrefaction
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