shrivel

verb shriv·el \ ˈshri-vəl , especially Southern ˈsri- \

|Updated on: 9 Aug 2018

Examples: shrivel in a Sentence

Definition of shrivel

shriveled or shrivelled; shriveling or shrivelling play \ˈshri-vəl-iŋ, ˈsri-; ˈshriv-liŋ, ˈsriv-\

intransitive verb

1 : to draw into wrinkles especially with a loss of moisture

2 a : to become reduced to inanition, helplessness, or inefficiency

b : dwindle

transitive verb

: to cause to shrivel

See shrivel defined for English-language learners

See shrivel defined for kids

Examples of shrivel in a Sentence

plants shriveling in the heat

Recent Examples of shrivel from the Web

Even though roughly half of all Indians still toil on the land, agriculture’s share of GDP has steadily shrivelled (see top chart).

— The Economist, "India’s government claims to subsidise farmers, but actually hurts them," 12 July 2018
Other countries are still continuing a push to phase out the internal combustion engine (the UK just released more details on its plan for a ban by 2040 this week,) so the EV industry isn’t likely to shrivel up and die because a US credit goes away.

— jack stewart, WIRED, "The Terrible Timing of Tesla's Expiring $7,500 Tax Credit," 12 July 2018
Even love couldn't sustain the tiny echeveria given by my boyfriend that shriveled up into a sorry-looking mess.

— caroline picard, Good Housekeeping, "Confession: Pothos Is the Only Houseplant I Can Actually Keep Alive Because It Refuses to Die," 22 June 2018
Ice sheets in Greenland and West Antarctica have also shriveled, melting about 455 billion tons of ice into water, according to the NASA satellite.

— Fox News, "NASA's chilling 30-year-old warning," 19 June 2018
Ice sheets in Greenland and West Antarctica have also have shriveled, melting about 455 billion tons of ice into water, according to the NASA satellite.

— Washington Post, "Global warming cooks up ‘a different world’ over 3 decades," 18 June 2018
But when my detox precluded making any purchases, the appeal of that kind of browsing shriveled.

— hayley phelan, WSJ, "Lessons From a Six-Month Shopping Detox," 26 June 2018
Ice sheets in Greenland and West Antarctica have also shriveled, melting about 455 billion tons of ice into water, according to the NASA satellite.

— Fox News, "NASA's chilling 30-year-old warning," 19 June 2018
One of those would make a great meal and the other would shrivel unpleasantly on a grill.

— maggie menderski, The Courier-Journal, "Galan’s Meat Market and Deli brings lost art of butchering to Portland," 28 June 2018

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