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

Layoffs at the big platforms, hiring freezes, and a steady drumbeat of stories about software careers drying up. — Felysha Walker, Kansas City Star, 24 July 2026

Then, after the Supreme Court struck down the IEEPA levies, the money started drying up. — Paul Wiseman, Los Angeles Times, 24 July 2026

Coupled with the lingering problems from last year’s dry winter, some farmers say their livelihood in the fields is literally and figuratively drying up. — Justin Klawans, TheWeek, 23 July 2026

With some funds set to dry up within weeks, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth pressed lawmakers to address the increasingly urgent shortfall. — Noah Robertson, Washington Post, 21 July 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