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

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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 Klosterman wondered if the recent heatwave would desiccate them. — Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 26 Mar. 2026 Mahdi and Khadija had been struck by drought, and their bed was dry and desiccated, waterless down to its depths. — Literary Hub, 12 Mar. 2026 Dried or desiccated coconut flakes can be replaced with fresh coconut meat, or omit. — The Washington Post, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Mar. 2026 Try to get a look below the surface—if anything is broken, damaged, rotten, or desiccated, a simple trim could help. — Ashley Chalmers, The Spruce, 11 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for desiccate

Recent Examples of Synonyms for desiccate

Verb

State leaders have introduced Assembly Bill 1383, which undermines crucial PEPRA guardrails, granting an unfunded pension benefit increase to first responders by reducing their retirement age.

— Zachary Christensen, Oc Register, 24 July 2026
For American tech companies, free and comparable Chinese models like K3 threaten to undermine their own products.

— John Liu, CNN Money, 24 July 2026

Definition of undermine

Verb

Hutson’s early arrival as a franchise defenseman means that a deal that seemed preposterous before the ink dried has now transcended even that.

— Dom Luszczyszyn, New York Times, 22 July 2026
To dry the hair, Mahoney and Giannetos suggest going the old-school blow-dryer route, using a nice round brush, keeping the top pieces close to the head to contain the volume at the bottom.

— Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 22 July 2026

Definition of dry

Verb

That makes the hot and cold sides quickly equalize, clearly weakening electricity generation.

— Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 19 July 2026
The Kospi Index has tumbled 25% since its June peak, resulting in a $1 trillion wipeout that threatens to weaken its global clout.

— Winnie Hsu, Fortune, 19 July 2026

Definition of weaken

Verb

The shattered standing forlornly by the podium at the end of a draining tournament, hearts broken, bodies exhausted, having to watch as the opposition receive the reward that England were agonisingly close to.

— Jack Pitt-Brooke, New York Times, 19 July 2026
Ryan Fox took home the Claret Jug after draining a birdie putt on the 18th hole to win the 2026 Open Championship at Royal Birkdale on Sunday.

— Jacob Lev, CNN Money, 19 July 2026

Definition of drain

Verb

Although caffeine has a mild diuretic effect, moderate amounts of caffeine generally isn’t dehydrating for most healthy adults.

— Heather Jones, Verywell Health, 21 July 2026
Regular consumption of caffeine up to 300 mg per day (about 16 ounces of coffee) does not significantly dehydrate the body.

— Bridget Shirvell, Martha Stewart, 21 July 2026

Definition of dehydrate

Verb

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
Johansson plays her with a tough edge to match her Queens accent, but Hester is clearly petrified by this perfect storm of ugly events.

— David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 16 May 2026

Definition of petrify

Verb

With little time to recover on the ball, such sequences only serve to exhaust Argentina, running low on energy to exert such pressure themselves.

— Thom Harris, New York Times, 20 July 2026
This rule doesn’t apply to the high school class of 2022, many of whom exhausted their NCAA eligibility with the 2025-26 season.

— Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 20 July 2026

Definition of exhaust

Verb

The system operates by altering the magnetic field to adjust fluid viscosity inside the dampers, continuously modifying compression and rebound damping.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 25 July 2026
Despite an active El Niño, experts say the Southwestern United States likely won’t feel its damping effect until next year.

— Noah Haggerty, Los Angeles Times, 22 July 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 27 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of desiccate

verb

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