dwindle

verb

dwin·​dle ˈdwin-dᵊl 

dwindled; dwindling ˈdwin-(d)liŋ 

-dᵊl-iŋ

intransitive verb

: to become steadily less : shrink

Their savings dwindled to nothing.

a dwindling population

transitive verb

: to make steadily less

Synonyms

• abate
• de-escalate
• decrease
• dent
• deplete
• diminish
• downscale
• downsize
• drop
• ease
• knock down
• lessen
• lower
• reduce

Choose the Right Synonym for dwindle

decrease, lessen, diminish, reduce, abate, dwindle mean to grow or make less.

decrease suggests a progressive decline in size, amount, numbers, or intensity.

slowly decreased the amount of pressure

lessen suggests a decline in amount rather than in number.

has been unable to lessen her debt

diminish emphasizes a perceptible loss and implies its subtraction from a total.

his visual acuity has diminished

reduce implies a bringing down or lowering.

you must reduce your caloric intake

abate implies a reducing of something excessive or oppressive in force or amount.

the storm abated

dwindle implies progressive lessening and is applied to things growing visibly smaller.

their provisions dwindled slowly

Examples of dwindle in a Sentence

Our energy dwindled as the meeting dragged on.

The town's population is dwindling away.

Recent Examples on the Web

The temporary closures are coming after the spring break crowds have started to dwindle at the Anaheim resort, and most of the attractions are expected to reopen before the summer crowds begin to arrive, a spokesperson for the theme park said. —Salvador Hernandez, Los Angeles Times, 10 Apr. 2024

Robbins views the wealth exodus as a serious threat to the city, and is particularly concerned about a dwindling pool of cash for education. —Amanda Gordon, Fortune, 10 Apr. 2024

However, after the arrival of European settlers, their numbers began to dwindle because of hunting and habitat destruction, according to the International Wolf Center. —Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 9 Apr. 2024

Signs can be connected to inventory systems that automatically adjust prices as supplies dwindle, for example, and changes can be rolled out quickly in response to competitors’ moves. —Lydia Depillis Lydia Depillis, New York Times, 6 Apr. 2024

The pain: Tenants will find dwindling cost advantages when choosing California’s cheapest places to rent compared with the state’s priciest spots. —Jonathan Lansner, Orange County Register, 5 Apr. 2024

Since Israel’s invasion in response to the Oct. 7 Hamas attack, the stream of trucks has dwindled to a trickle, reaching Gaza through only a few checkpoints, subject to strenuous Israeli inspections and beset by logistical logjams and security concerns. —Manuel Canales, Washington Post, 28 Mar. 2024

For example, a week ago just over 19% of the state was in a level between a D2 to D4 drought and that has dwindled to just 6%. —David Clarey, Journal Sentinel, 28 Mar. 2024

Russia’s war upended the post-Cold War geopolitical order, forcing Europe to take seriously its own defense after decades of dwindling military budgets and prompting countries on its border to take more drastic measures. —Christian Edwards, CNN, 29 Mar. 2024

Word History

Etymology

probably frequentative of dwine to waste away, from Middle English, from Old English dwīnan; akin to Old Norse dvīna to pine away, deyja to die — more at die

First Known Use

1596, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Kids Definition

dwindle

verb

dwin·​dle ˈdwin-dᵊl 

dwindled; dwindling ˈdwin-dliŋ 

-dᵊliŋ

: to make or become less