Clues for the word "DECAY"
We've had 60 crossword clues used for this word, and seen it 174 times in crosswords. It was last seen in Evening Standard Easy crossword on January 22, 2026.
Definition of decay
- v. i. - To pass gradually from a sound, prosperous, or perfect state, to one of imperfection, adversity, or dissolution; to waste away; to decline; to fail; to become weak, corrupt, or disintegrated; to rot; to perish; as, a tree decays; fortunes decay; hopes decay.
- v. t. - To cause to decay; to impair.
- v. t. - To destroy.
- n. - Gradual failure of health, strength, soundness, prosperity, or of any species of excellence or perfection; tendency toward dissolution or extinction; corruption; rottenness; decline; deterioration; as, the decay of the body; the decay of virtue; the decay of the Roman empire; a castle in decay.
- n. - Destruction; death.
- n. - Cause of decay.
Referring Clues
- Rot
- Tooth trouble
- Tooth problem
- What spots on 1-Down show
- Dental damage
- Go bad, as teeth
- Crumble away
- Waste away
- Cavity cause
- Go to pot
- See 18-Across
- Break down
- Dental concern
- Get on with one's half-life?
- Decompose
- Fall into ruins
- Deteriorate
- Wear down
- Dentist's concern, and a hint to what the longest answers have in common
- Canine's woe?
- Reason to drill
- Dentist's detection
- Dentist's discovery
- Emulate a compost pile
- Progressive decline
- Cause of radioactivity
- Go downhill
- Become rotten
- Putrefy
- Dental problem
- Go to pot ... or a phonetic hint to the answers to starred clues
- Erode
- Urban ___
- Dental woe
- Sevendust song that rots?
- Go bad
- Go off
- A month and a year without attention is a bad thing
- Bad time going round the East Central area
- Falling into it is bad
- Notes a day out to be a bad thing!
- Radioactive ___ (atomic process)
- Heard Donna Karan tops don't last
- Become compost
- Radium activity
- Exhibit radioactivity
- Bad day out!
- Canine's woe?
- Disintegrate
- Radioactive process
- Be a rotter?
- Turn to compost
- Radioactivity, essentially
- Radioactivity action
- Canine problem?
- Degenerate
- Deteriorate for some days at the end of the month
- Exponential ___ (function in physics)
- Turn into compost
- Radioisotope activity
Last Seen In
- Evening Standard Easy - January 22, 2026
- Evening Standard Easy - December 18, 2025
- Mirror Mini - November 30, 2025
- Penny Dell Daily - October 20, 2025
- Evening Standard Easy - October 16, 2025
- Penny Dell Daily - October 01, 2025
- Evening Standard Cryptic - September 29, 2025
- Evening Standard Quick - August 15, 2025
- Evening Standard Easy - July 24, 2025
- Penny Dell Daily - July 14, 2025
- Daily Quick - July 10, 2025
- Evening Standard Quick - May 27, 2025
- Evening Standard Quick - April 04, 2025
- Penny Dell Daily - March 28, 2025
- Evening Standard Quick - February 25, 2025
- Evening Standard Easy - February 25, 2025
- King Syndicate - Thomas Joseph - January 16, 2025
- Evening Standard Easy - January 15, 2025
- Evening Standard Quick - November 11, 2024
- LA Times - September 01, 2024
- Evening Standard Easy - August 26, 2024
- Evening Standard Quick - August 16, 2024
- Daily Quick - June 21, 2024
- LA Times - June 13, 2024
- Mirror Mini - May 27, 2024
- Evening Standard Easy - May 08, 2024
- Penny Dell Daily - April 19, 2024
- King Syndicate - Eugene Sheffer - April 05, 2024
- Evening Standard Easy - March 27, 2024
- Evening Standard Quick - February 21, 2024
- And in 144 more crossword puzzles...