withered; withering
ˈwit͟h-riŋ,
ˈwi-t͟hə-
1
: to become dry and sapless
especially
: to shrivel from or as if from loss of bodily moisture
2
: to lose vitality, force, or freshness
public support for the bill is withering
1
: to cause to wither
2
: to make speechless or incapable of action : stun
… withered him with a look …—
Dorothy L. Sayers
Dorothy L. SayersExamples of wither in a Sentence
Verb
The plants withered and died.
shortly after the moon landing, interest in the space program withered
Recent Examples on the Web
Nick Bowlin, The Frontier, 16 Feb. 2026
In 1856, violence came to Washington, too, when a South Carolina congressman brutally caned the Massachusetts Senator Charles Sumner on the floor of the Senate, two days after Sumner delivered a withering antislavery speech.
—Jake Lundberg, The Atlantic, 12 Feb. 2026
California’s veterans deserve thoughtful, forward-looking policy that reflects their reality — not theories that wither in the face of the domestic battles that veterans should never have to fight.
—Irene Watkins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Feb. 2026
Prior to the oil blockade, the Caribbean island suffered from a withering economy due to its dwindling tourism business since the Covid-19 pandemic.
—Philip Wang, Time, 9 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for wither
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Verb
Trees near their sprinklers withered and died.
—Nick Bowlin, The Frontier, 16 Feb. 2026
In 1856, violence came to Washington, too, when a South Carolina congressman brutally caned the Massachusetts Senator Charles Sumner on the floor of the Senate, two days after Sumner delivered a withering antislavery speech.
—Jake Lundberg, The Atlantic, 12 Feb. 2026
California’s veterans deserve thoughtful, forward-looking policy that reflects their reality — not theories that wither in the face of the domestic battles that veterans should never have to fight.
—Irene Watkins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Feb. 2026
Prior to the oil blockade, the Caribbean island suffered from a withering economy due to its dwindling tourism business since the Covid-19 pandemic.
—Philip Wang, Time, 9 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for wither
Cite this Entry
“Wither.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wither. Accessed 19 Feb. 2026.
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