Master confusing words with ease
Erode vs. Corrode
Erode
/ɪˈrəʊd/Examples:
The river has begun to erode the soil over millennia.Constant rain will slowly erode the wooden fence.Her confidence started to erode after repeated failures.
Synonyms:
Antonyms:
Corrode
/kəˈrəʊd/Examples:
The battery acid began to corrode the metal contacts.Years of exposure to saltwater can corrode a ship's hull.Neglecting maintenance will cause pipes to corrode over time.
Synonyms:
Antonyms:
Ways to tell them apart:
- Erode often refers to the gradual wearing away of land by natural forces such as water, wind, or ice.
- Corrode usually involves chemical reactions that cause metal or other materials to deteriorate over time.
- Think of erode as a softer, more natural process, while corrode is more aggressive and often involves human-made substances or pollution.
- An eroding riverbank is a natural event, but corroding metal pipes suggest chemical change.
- Erosion is something we observe in geography, while corrosion relates more to chemistry and material science.
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