1
as in to dry
to lose liveliness, force, or freshness
shortly after the moon landing, interest in the space program withered the old man seemed to wither suddenly upon turning 80
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to fade
to lose bodily strength or vigor
if he's left on his own, he'll just wither and die
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of wither
This week’s chilly temperatures may have Hoosiers shivering but garden plants may be withering.
—
Karl Schneider, IndyStar, 23 Oct. 2025
His life had begun to wither, and sink.
—Miami Herald, 23 Oct. 2025
Their misguided proposals should be left to wither in committee and die.
—Stephen Trimble, Denver Post, 20 Oct. 2025
Houseplants would wither and die.
—Literary Hub, 20 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for wither
Karl Schneider, IndyStar, 23 Oct. 2025
His life had begun to wither, and sink.
—Miami Herald, 23 Oct. 2025
Their misguided proposals should be left to wither in committee and die.
—Stephen Trimble, Denver Post, 20 Oct. 2025
Houseplants would wither and die.
—Literary Hub, 20 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for wither
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wither
Verb
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Americans suffering from high cost of living, rising food and energy prices, and leaving them out to dry with no plan on our skyrocketing health insurance premiums.—
Deputy News Editor,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 Nov. 2025
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Promptly dry the pan with a paper towel or lint-free tea towel.—
Kimberly Holland,
Southern Living,
5 Nov. 2025
Verb
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For one night, under cold rain and flickering red lights, the noise faded.—
Ira Gorawara,
New York Times,
9 Nov. 2025
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Once summer flowers fade and growth stops, start cleaning up the garden.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
Southern Living,
8 Nov. 2025
Verb
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To me, there’s nothing more upsetting than excitedly going in the fridge to pull out ingredients for a crisp salad or plate up delicious fruit only to find everything has wilted, gotten mushy, and just plain ol’ sad.—
Alicia Geigel,
Southern Living,
11 Nov. 2025
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Those defeats on the road have had much in common with slow starts giving the hosts the initiative, followed by the sight of Slot’s side wilting under pressure while offering little as an attacking force.—
James Pearce,
New York Times,
10 Nov. 2025
Verb
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With some estimates putting wave heights as much as 35 feet, weakened hatch covers would have been vulnerable to such waves.—
Stephen J. Beard,
USA Today,
7 Nov. 2025
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The years of horrific violence have weakened Sudan, plunging its institutions into chaos and making its population more vulnerable and poorer.—
Ivana Kottasová,
CNN Money,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
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The Balenciaga tunics seemed similarly austere, until the models did an about-face, revealing a slit that sagged open seductively.—
Miles Socha,
Footwear News,
7 Nov. 2025
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The Democratic margin in those counties had sagged in 2021, when Republican Glenn Youngkin won the governor’s race, and in 2024, when Kamala Harris eked out a surprisingly narrow win.—
Ronald Brownstein,
Mercury News,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Unfortunately, Packers quarterback Jordan Love will go into the game without one of his top receiving threats, who came into the game with a questionable tag.—
Reice Shipley,
MSNBC Newsweek,
11 Nov. 2025
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The company count included insiders like Musk, who held around a 15% stake in Tesla going into the proxy and was allowed to vote his shares.—
Lora Kolodny,
CNBC,
11 Nov. 2025
Verb
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The Tigers also failed on their lone fourth-down attempt, a fourth-and-5 at the Texas A&M 27.—
Maddie Hartley,
Kansas City Star,
9 Nov. 2025
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The Horned Frogs outgained Iowa State 432-272, but failed to come out on top as the Cyclones snapped their four-game losing streak.—
Steven Johnson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
9 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Wither.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wither. Accessed 20 Nov. 2025.
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