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

Business in villages like Bajo Chiquito dried up, and villagers returned to growing plantains. — Belén Fernández, Harpers Magazine, 22 Sep. 2026

As political support for decarbonizing the existing energy system has dried up, data centers have emerged as a new center of financial gravity, drawing in unprecedented billions from the biggest tech and Wall Street firms. — Tim McDonnell, semafor.com, 21 Sep. 2026

These spots are still damp, even when the rest of the Central Valley is drying up. — Sean MacAday, Sacbee.com, 20 Sep. 2026

Hikers trekking along trails around Los Angeles know that, by late summer, most creeks and rivers have dried up for the season. — Jaclyn Cosgrove, Los Angeles Times, 17 Sep. 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