dry up

verb

Updated on: 19 Apr 2018

Definition of dry 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

Examples of dry up in a Sentence

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

Recent Examples of dry up from the Web

Collective laughter is only one way to help dry up the venom in today’s politics and restore a culture of trust.

— The Christian Science Monitor, "Did Paul Ryan leave them rolling in the aisles?," 12 Apr. 2018
The project has revived severely eroded ecosystems nearby, such as Lake Juyanhai in Inner Mongolia, which had dried up in 1992.

— The Economist, "China has built the world’s largest water-diversion project," 5 Apr. 2018
When state money from Sacramento dried up after Governor Brown scrapped a redevelopment program, the City, as reported by Voice of San Diego, became responsible each year for some $14 million relating to the ballpark.

— tom krasovic, sandiegouniontribune.com, "West looks too grisly for Padres — but could soften at opportune time," 29 Mar. 2018
Buy Photo Around the time that funding was drying up for her antiviolence center, Maria Kefalas began raising money to support research for the rare and incurable disease afflicting her youngest daughter.

— helen ubiñas, Philly.com, "Right now we're dealing with the rarest form of the gun-violence disease | Helen Ubiñas," 27 Mar. 2018
When money dries up, construction halts, and church members have to save and fundraise.

— devin kelly, Anchorage Daily News, "From inside the ‘wedding cake church’ in Midtown Anchorage, the faithful finally see progress," 25 Mar. 2018
Scientists believe that the Mediterranean became partially dried up during the Messinian Salinity Crisis, but the Crisis ended 640,000 years later.

— martin finucane, BostonGlobe.com, "Mile-high waterfall might have once connected eastern, western Mediterranean," 22 Mar. 2018
Hospice workers recommend an anti-secretion medicine to dry up the mucous: one syringe-full against the gum.

— ellen wayland-smith, Longreads, "Death Rattle: The Body’s Betrayals," 21 Mar. 2018
To make matters worse, Goldman says there’s reason to be concerned about liquidity drying up during periods when markets are distressed.

— joanna ossinger, Bloomberg.com, "Goldman Sees ‘Financial Fragility’ Rising in Markets," 19 Mar. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'dry up.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of dry up

14th century

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dry up

Definition of dry up

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