dry up

verb

dried up; drying up; dries up

transitive verb

: to cut off the supply of

intransitive verb

1

: to disappear as if by evaporation, draining, or cutting off of a source of supply

2

: to wither or die through gradual loss of vitality

3

: to stop talking

Synonyms of dry up

• quiet (down)
• hush
• clam up
• shut up
• settle (down)
• pipe down
• cool (down)
• calm (down)

Examples of dry up in a Sentence

sick of her constant complaining, he angrily told her to dry up

Recent Examples on the Web

If the sauce has dried up, add a few splashes of water to loosen it. —Andy Baraghani, Bon Appetit Magazine, 8 Jan. 2026

When circulation is blocked, liquidity dries up, stagnation sets in, and economic depression can follow. —Jeff Mayhugh, Washington Post, 5 Jan. 2026

The goals dried up for Mohamed Salah before the Africa Cup of Nations, and Cody Gakpo's form has left many supporters wishing that Luis Diaz hadn't been sold to Bayern Munich. —James Pearce, New York Times, 2 Jan. 2026

The brand deals that had scaffolded her career for the past decade had dried up, and her husband lost his job. —Rebecca Jennings, Vulture, 1 Jan. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Rhymes for dry up

• backup
• blowup
• breakup
• buildup
• checkup
• cleanup
• holdup
• hookup
• lineup
• lockup
• makeup
• markup