as in deterioration
a gradual sinking and wasting away of mind or body
the all-too-apparent weakening of our grandfather was hard on our mother
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in draining
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
1
as in softening
to diminish the physical strength of
weeks of hardship in the desert had greatly weakened them
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in fading
to lose bodily strength or vigor
the bodybuilder weakened once she eased off on her workouts
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in diluting
to alter (something) for the worse with the addition of foreign or lower-grade substances
weakened the juice with too much water
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of weakening
Priyanka Salve, CNBC, 24 Mar. 2026
Another displacement or weakening of the polar vortex is underway, which can allow bursts of Arctic air to spill into the Midwest and Northeast at times, according to AccuWeather lead long-range meteorologist Paul Pastelok.
—Doyle Rice, USA Today, 12 Mar. 2026
This led to a 34-day war, the loss of 1,000 civilian lives, the weakening of Lebanon’s economy and significant damages to its infrastructure.
—Mireille Rebeiz, The Conversation, 4 Mar. 2026
The state is seeing a weakening of its oil industry, and increasing challenges for its refineries to remain open due to environmental concerns, according to a Daily Breeze report on Monday, March 2.
—Pat Maio, Oc Register, 3 Mar. 2026
But independent decisions the groups have made so far to stay clear of the conflict are a sign of the overall weakening of Iran’s network.
—Adam Geller, Fortune, 2 Mar. 2026
But independent decisions the groups have made so far to stay clear of the conflict are a sign of the overall weakening of Iran's network.
—ABC News, 2 Mar. 2026
This weakening warms the usually cooler central and eastern sides of the ocean, altering rainfall over the equatorial Pacific and wind patterns around the world.
—CBS News, 2 Mar. 2026
At that point, governments and industry execs were not yet backtracking, weakening regulations, re-engining trucks, canceling battery deals or bringing back big, thirsty V8s.
—New Atlas, 23 Feb. 2026
Arkansas Online, 23 Mar. 2026
But that same logic was applied to other things like weakening labor protections, with factories shutting down and the country beginning to see the demise of labor unions.
—John Blake, CNN Money, 22 Mar. 2026
This late evening wave of storms will have the potential to be strong to severe, but overall trends should favor weakening as the cold front outpaces it.
—Trey Fulbright, CBS News, 22 Mar. 2026
Meanwhile, Colorado Springs reported a 4% increase in sales, but realtor Patrick Muldoon cautioned about broader issues, such as a weakening job market and record household debt.
—Sara B. Hansen, Denver Post, 21 Mar. 2026
Consumer protection advocates say the ballooning cost of living and weakening federal oversight are main causes.
—William Tong, Dallas Morning News, 20 Mar. 2026
So, Hezbollah’s weakening by Israel led to more direct Iranian control?
—Isaac Chotiner, New Yorker, 20 Mar. 2026
Gold is typically seen as a safe-haven asset, but surging oil prices have spurred concerns that rising inflation will keep interest rates up, weakening gold’s appeal.
—J.d. Capelouto, semafor.com, 19 Mar. 2026
But right now the job market is already weakening, economic growth is already slowing, and consumer spending is already falling.
—Rogé Karma, The Atlantic, 13 Mar. 2026
Noun
Higher energy prices are also expected to widen India’s current account deficit, which has contributed to a weakening of the local currency, with the rupee touching record lows in recent days.
—Priyanka Salve, CNBC, 24 Mar. 2026
Another displacement or weakening of the polar vortex is underway, which can allow bursts of Arctic air to spill into the Midwest and Northeast at times, according to AccuWeather lead long-range meteorologist Paul Pastelok.
—Doyle Rice, USA Today, 12 Mar. 2026
This led to a 34-day war, the loss of 1,000 civilian lives, the weakening of Lebanon’s economy and significant damages to its infrastructure.
—Mireille Rebeiz, The Conversation, 4 Mar. 2026
The state is seeing a weakening of its oil industry, and increasing challenges for its refineries to remain open due to environmental concerns, according to a Daily Breeze report on Monday, March 2.
—Pat Maio, Oc Register, 3 Mar. 2026
But independent decisions the groups have made so far to stay clear of the conflict are a sign of the overall weakening of Iran’s network.
—Adam Geller, Fortune, 2 Mar. 2026
But independent decisions the groups have made so far to stay clear of the conflict are a sign of the overall weakening of Iran's network.
—ABC News, 2 Mar. 2026
This weakening warms the usually cooler central and eastern sides of the ocean, altering rainfall over the equatorial Pacific and wind patterns around the world.
—CBS News, 2 Mar. 2026
At that point, governments and industry execs were not yet backtracking, weakening regulations, re-engining trucks, canceling battery deals or bringing back big, thirsty V8s.
—New Atlas, 23 Feb. 2026
Verb
The aims have ranged from weakening Iran's nuclear program, missile program and support for armed proxies to enabling the Iranian people to overthrow the theocracy.
—Arkansas Online, 23 Mar. 2026
But that same logic was applied to other things like weakening labor protections, with factories shutting down and the country beginning to see the demise of labor unions.
—John Blake, CNN Money, 22 Mar. 2026
This late evening wave of storms will have the potential to be strong to severe, but overall trends should favor weakening as the cold front outpaces it.
—Trey Fulbright, CBS News, 22 Mar. 2026
Meanwhile, Colorado Springs reported a 4% increase in sales, but realtor Patrick Muldoon cautioned about broader issues, such as a weakening job market and record household debt.
—Sara B. Hansen, Denver Post, 21 Mar. 2026
Consumer protection advocates say the ballooning cost of living and weakening federal oversight are main causes.
—William Tong, Dallas Morning News, 20 Mar. 2026
So, Hezbollah’s weakening by Israel led to more direct Iranian control?
—Isaac Chotiner, New Yorker, 20 Mar. 2026
Gold is typically seen as a safe-haven asset, but surging oil prices have spurred concerns that rising inflation will keep interest rates up, weakening gold’s appeal.
—J.d. Capelouto, semafor.com, 19 Mar. 2026
But right now the job market is already weakening, economic growth is already slowing, and consumer spending is already falling.
—Rogé Karma, The Atlantic, 13 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for weakening
Noun
-
Lifting them exposes the materials to rapid changes in pressure, temperature, and oxygen levels, which can accelerate deterioration or trigger instability.—
Christopher McFadden,
Interesting Engineering,
25 Mar. 2026
-
The dramatic move offers the latest evidence of the deterioration in relations between Lebanon and Iran.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
24 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Long periods of socializing, like a weeklong conference, can feel far more draining than shorter events.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
28 Oct. 2025
-
By aligning strategic work with those rhythms, productivity can feel more natural and less draining.—
Matthew Kayser,
USA Today,
28 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
The biggest red flag for backcountry travelers is rapidly softening snow.—
Callie Zanandrie,
CBS News,
20 Mar. 2026
-
The central bank held its benchmark interest rate steady on Wednesday as policymakers face growing signs of a softening job market, even as the war in Iran puts more upward pressure on prices.—
Scott Horsley,
NPR,
18 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
It’s made with 96% snail secretion filtrate, a humectant-rich ingredient known for calming irritation, fading post-acne marks, and supporting skin repair.—
Christa Joanna Lee,
Allure,
22 Mar. 2026
-
Siakam also unsuccessfully used a fake before fading away, only to have Wembanyama block the shot, which Carter Bryant grabbed.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
21 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The challenge lies in tailoring your tone without diluting the mission or fragmenting the brand.—
Rolling Stone Culture Council,
Rolling Stone,
11 Mar. 2026
-
Try diluting it with water if the taste is too much for you.—
Jamie Johnson,
Verywell Health,
9 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Living with long COVID Long COVID is often very debilitating, Walkes said.—
Nicole Villalpando,
Austin American Statesman,
15 Mar. 2026
-
Worries are worsening that the war could block the production of oil in the Persian Gulf for a long time and cause a debilitating surge of inflation for the global economy.—
Stan Choe,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Such a designation, evidently, would save agents from wasting time chasing phantoms.—
Adam Ciralsky,
Vanity Fair,
19 Mar. 2026
-
Avoid space-wasting moves, such as storing tall bottles on the same shelf as short cocktail tumblers.—
Amy Panos,
Better Homes & Gardens,
16 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
James Madison used a sagging zone defense in the paint or a double-team on Strack in an attempt to slow down the Wildcats, but that left Strack’s teammates open for easy shots.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
21 Mar. 2026
-
Release, for contouring and pressure relief; and Adaptive, to keep the bed from sagging.—
Nashia Baker,
Architectural Digest,
19 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Weakening.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/weakening. Accessed 28 Mar. 2026.
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