DESICCATION Synonyms: 116 Similar and Opposite Words

desiccate

verb

ˈde-si-ˌkāt

Definition of desiccate

as in to undermine

to deprive of emotional or intellectual vitality that historian's dryasdust prose desiccates what is actually an exciting period in European history

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to dry

to make dry add a cup of desiccated coconut to the mix

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of desiccate By desiccating vegetation, the drought has already fueled severe wildfires, with 116,000 hectares burned in Spain and 42,000 hectares burned in France, according to the WWA report. — Sanidhya Sharma, Scientific American, 24 July 2026 Olive trees, desiccated from the Xylella fastidiosa bacterial epidemic, are consumed by fire and slump to the ground in a burnished black heap. — Angelica Calabrese, Longreads, 7 July 2026 Another advantage of long and narrow leaves is their ability to withstand heavy rainfall and battering or desiccating winds. — Joshua Siskin, Oc Register, 4 June 2026 Her flesh is desiccated and gray, her hands and feet are jagged claws, and her breath comes out in rasps. — Alison Willmore, Vulture, 17 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for desiccate

Recent Examples of Synonyms for desiccate

Verb

In the air war, the Houthis have taken aim at Saudi Arabia's oil facilities near its border with Yemen, accusing the Saudis of arming Yemeni government forces as a way of undermining Yemen's sovereignty.

— Guy Davies, ABC News, 10 Sep. 2026
Poor change management, configuration drift and unmanaged systems quietly undermine cybersecurity.

— Scott Alldridge, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2026

Definition of undermine

Verb

The text is written on parchment made from sheep, fleeced, their hides soaked in lime, stretched and dried.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 10 Sep. 2026
After washing, the appliance can move through steam sanitization and hot-air drying before entering a 72-hour antibacterial storage mode, which circulates filtered air to help keep cleaned parts dry and ready for use.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 9 Sep. 2026

Definition of dry

Verb

Dairy cows are producing less milk and birthing fewer or weakened calves.

— Vivian Song, CNN Money, 6 Sep. 2026
Though Hurricane Marie continues to weaken in the southern Pacific Ocean — and is expected to remain hundreds of miles off the Southern California coastline — the region can still expect to feel some effects from the storm over the next few days.

— Grace Toohey, Los Angeles Times, 6 Sep. 2026

Definition of weaken

Verb

As a young man, Francisco traversed it on horseback, eking out a living by draining resin from the towering pines.

— Kate Linthicum, Los Angeles Times, 6 Sep. 2026
Management voluntarily closed the store until a three-compartment sink could be fixed to drain properly.

— Lillie Davidson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 6 Sep. 2026

Definition of drain

Verb

The reassuring part is that the human body can perform well for hours even when temporarily dehydrated.

— Hanna Wickes, Kansas City Star, 9 Sep. 2026
In a phone interview with The Associated Press, Rodríguez Verona said survivors were disoriented and dehydrated, with many collapsing or vomiting upon reaching land.

— ABC News, ABC News, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of dehydrate

Verb

Here, a source of primordial terror—the gaze that petrifies—is deflected by way of the highly polished shield that Perseus wields against the creature.

— Jan Tumlir, Artforum, 5 Aug. 2026
The first film follows a group of French high-school students who travel to Naples on a school trip to discover the ruins of Pompeii and the bodies petrified by Vesuvius.

— Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 20 May 2026

Definition of petrify

Verb

Lucie, having exhausted all other possibilities, and needing Darnay in order to find her father, hires a very reluctant Carton, who in a trick worthy of Perry Mason, gets him off when a witness cannot tell him and Darnay apart.

— Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 6 Sep. 2026
Last month, multiple sources familiar with the matter told CNN that the US military had exhausted nearly 80% of its interceptors for a key missile defense system.

— Nadeen Ebrahim, CNN Money, 4 Sep. 2026

Definition of exhaust

Verb

By early afternoon, the scene shifts across the shaded wooden deck, as guests slip in from the jetty barefoot and still damp from the sea, for long, languid lunches that roll into dusk.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 Sep. 2026
For extra hold, apply a little volumizing mousse or a lightweight styling product to damp hair.

— Lucy Binder, Glamour, 30 Aug. 2026

Definition of damp

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desexing

desiccate

desiccated

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“Desiccate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/desiccate. Accessed 13 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of desiccate

verb

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