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

• quiet (down)
• hush
• clam up
• shut up
• settle (down)
• hold one's peace
• 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

When the depression hit the country and touring dried up, the Brown Theater was transformed into a movie theater where films were shown for the next 30 years. —Kirby Adams, Louisville Courier Journal, 1 Oct. 2025

The company filed for bankruptcy in 2020 as travel all but halted during the coronavirus pandemic, drying up demand for rental cars. —Robert Ferris, CNBC, 30 Sep. 2025

Thousands of workers in Haiti’s public healthcare system are at risk of losing their jobs as international funding dries up and gang violence escalates, fueling a resurgence in deadly cholera. —Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 30 Sep. 2025

When that work dries up, claimants rise. —Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 30 Sep. 2025

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