Definition of emaciatenext
as in to weaken
to lose bodily strength or vigor without adequate medical supplies, doctors could only look on helplessly as cholera victims continued to emaciate

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of emaciate Ruby’s 10-year-old daughter was also found in the house emaciated, and the two women were arrested and held without bail. Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 11 Oct. 2024 At barely five pounds, Matilda was emaciated and clinging to life when the Monmouth County Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals took her in. Kathleen Hopkins, USA TODAY, 30 May 2023 Six dead giraffes, bodies emaciated from the lack of food and water, photographed by Ed Ram, show the horror of Kenya’s prolonged ongoing drought, which has threatened and displaced animals and humans alike. Nell Lewis, CNN, 29 Mar. 2023 Past herds of cows wandering through busy settlements along the highway in search of water, so emaciated their ribs were showing. Jada Yuan, Washington Post, 24 Feb. 2023 Many were emaciated, unlike the examples in the current study. Joshua Sokol, New York Times, 25 Feb. 2020 Three of them were severely malnourished and the rest were emaciated, according to the Sheriff's Office. James Carr, azcentral, 21 Feb. 2020 Detectives noted that much of the food in the home was locked away and that James' body was emaciated when found. Sarah Sarder, Houston Chronicle, 18 Feb. 2020 Scores of common murres, one of the most prolific seabirds, washed up on beaches, and many were emaciated, the researchers said. oregonlive, 21 Jan. 2020
Recent Examples of Synonyms for emaciate
Verb
  • Vcg | Visual China Group | Getty Images BEIJING — China’s consumer spending slowdown persisted in June, with growth during one of the country’s largest online shopping festivals weakening sharply from a year earlier.
    Evelyn Cheng, CNBC, 23 June 2026
  • All three of those protagonists have been weakened in their roles by what has gone on.
    Nasser Hussain, New York Times, 23 June 2026
Verb
  • But Rosales said that tradition was fading, possibly another casualty of a more cutthroat political climate.
    Ben Paviour, Sacbee.com, 26 June 2026
  • The pen barrel depicts fields of wheat that fade into plowed farmland and trees, with distant mountains rising beneath a vast open sky.
    Nancy Olson, Forbes.com, 26 June 2026
Verb
  • The Phillies duo followed up their historic night on Saturday in which Schwarber hit three home runs and Harper hit for the cycle, by both going deep against the Mets again.
    CBS News, CBS News, 22 June 2026
  • How airlines and airports can do better Maglione and Riccobono both said that training and implementing new technology can go a long way toward improving the flying experience for blind travelers.
    Zach Wichter, USA Today, 22 June 2026
Verb
  • Peptide skin-care products have the unique ability to target a host of skin concerns, from sagging to an impaired skin barrier, in part because there are so many different types of peptides.
    Deanna Pai, Vogue, 24 June 2026
  • During my thirties, sagging skin wasn’t really an issue for me.
    Leah Groth, InStyle, 24 June 2026
Verb
  • Amy Turner LaDow, of Valparaiso, is a sixth-generation carrier of Huntington’s Disease, a condition that causes nerve cells in the brain to decay, according to the Mayo Clinic.
    Michelle L. Quinn, Chicago Tribune, 20 June 2026
  • On the shore of a nondescript, decaying seaside town, a boat that went missing 30 years ago suddenly reappears.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 19 June 2026
Verb
  • The biggest transaction of his tenure occurred when Shohei Ohtani left the Angels after six seasons for the Dodgers in late 2023, the Angels failing to trade Ohtani for prospects before Ohtani became a free agent.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 27 June 2026
  • Twice already, in November of 2025 and February of this year, the seven states involved in re-negotiating water rights and use along with the 100-year old treaty kicked the can down the road and failed to come to an agreement on water sharing.
    Alan Gionet, CBS News, 27 June 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Emaciate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/emaciate. Accessed 29 Jun. 2026.

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