withered; withering
ˈwit͟h-riŋ,
ˈwi-t͟hə-
1
: to become dry and sapless
especially
: to shrivel from or as if from loss of bodily moisture
2
: to lose vitality, force, or freshness
public support for the bill is withering
1
: to cause to wither
2
: to make speechless or incapable of action : stun
withered him with a look—
Dorothy Sayers
Dorothy SayersSynonyms
Examples of wither in a Sentence
Verb
The plants withered and died.
shortly after the moon landing, interest in the space program withered
Recent Examples on the WebL. Roger Hutson, The Denver Post, 23 Apr. 2024
Israel has faced withering criticism in recent months for its attacks in Gaza, but the trip reinforced their view that Israel has a right to actively defend itself against threats.
—Niraj Warikoo, Detroit Free Press, 22 Apr. 2024
Philippe, who remains popular with some Haitians for his Robin Hood persona, promptly returned to his rebel role, creating yet another potent threat for the withering government.
—Andres Viglucci, Miami Herald, 21 Apr. 2024
But legislators have been in a similar position before and then seen their hopes wither.
—Lauren Feiner, The Verge, 17 Apr. 2024
Keep in Mind Lower leaves on plants had a tendency to wither in this system.
—Rachel Ahrnsen, Better Homes & Gardens, 11 Apr. 2024
But Bengaluru’s water struggle is especially withering for many — and motivating for some who have water sales or reform in mind — because the city sees itself as an innovator.
—Damien Cave Atul Loke, New York Times, 31 Mar. 2024
Sometimes, all of these cuts cause twigs to wither or snap, killing leaves.
—Celia Ford, WIRED, 28 Mar. 2024
The judge’s opinion of that argument was withering.
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 10 Apr. 2024
Verb
Against withering attacks from the two-party system, No Labels built the infrastructure and secured the ballot access necessary to launch such a ticket.
—L. Roger Hutson, The Denver Post, 23 Apr. 2024
Israel has faced withering criticism in recent months for its attacks in Gaza, but the trip reinforced their view that Israel has a right to actively defend itself against threats.
—Niraj Warikoo, Detroit Free Press, 22 Apr. 2024
Philippe, who remains popular with some Haitians for his Robin Hood persona, promptly returned to his rebel role, creating yet another potent threat for the withering government.
—Andres Viglucci, Miami Herald, 21 Apr. 2024
But legislators have been in a similar position before and then seen their hopes wither.
—Lauren Feiner, The Verge, 17 Apr. 2024
Keep in Mind Lower leaves on plants had a tendency to wither in this system.
—Rachel Ahrnsen, Better Homes & Gardens, 11 Apr. 2024
But Bengaluru’s water struggle is especially withering for many — and motivating for some who have water sales or reform in mind — because the city sees itself as an innovator.
—Damien Cave Atul Loke, New York Times, 31 Mar. 2024
Sometimes, all of these cuts cause twigs to wither or snap, killing leaves.
—Celia Ford, WIRED, 28 Mar. 2024
The judge’s opinion of that argument was withering.
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 10 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'wither.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near wither
Cite this Entry
“Wither.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wither. Accessed 27 Apr. 2024.
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