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In her book Braiding Sweetgrass, scientist Robin Wall Kimmerer, an enrolled member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation, recounts some of the stories of her people surrounding Windigos, fearsome, shrieking monsters that prey on human flesh: “The Windigo is most powerful in the Hungry Times. With the warm breezes his power wanes.” Wane is a verb used when something—such as strength, power, or influence—decreases or diminishes, usually with the implication that the lessening is gradual, natural, or—as in the case of the Windigo—seasonal. Daylight wanes, as does summer. In a classroom, one’s attention may be said to wane if, minute by minute, one becomes more interested in watching birds through the window than following the points of the professor’s lecture. For centuries, wane has also been called upon to describe the seeming decrease in the size of the moon in the later phases of the lunar cycle. The traditional opposite of wane is wax, a once common but now rare synonym of grow. Wane and wax have been partnered in references to the moon since the Middle Ages.
Examples of wane in a Sentence
Ankita Dhawan, Forbes.com, 12 July 2025
The Oz, a disco club that opened in its basement on Valentine’s Day in 1979 — the waning days of disco — was once considered one of the most popular hangouts in downtown St. Paul, with clientele including famed writers and politicians.
—Frederick Melo, Twin Cities, 11 July 2025
Shannon Gabriel, Forbes.com, 3 June 2025
Depression inside detention While in detention, Paz Cartagena’s anxiety waxes and wanes.
—Nick Penzenstadler, USA Today, 30 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for wane
Cite this Entry
“Wane.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wane. Accessed 26 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
wane
1 of 2 verbwane
2 of 2 noun
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