desiccate

verb

ˈde-si-ˌkāt How to pronounce desiccate (audio)
Definition of desiccatenext
1
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
2
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 First, the wood pieces are desiccated at a relatively low temperature — just above the boiling temperature of water — then squeezed into slabs. — Shi En Kim, AZCentral.com, 15 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for desiccate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for desiccate
  1. undermine
  2. dry
  3. weaken
  4. drain
  5. dehydrate
  6. petrify
  7. exhaust
  8. damp
Verb
  • But supporters also warned that a Congress increasingly dominated by the far right and the agribusiness caucus could undermine those efforts to protect the forest and combat climate change.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 27 Oct. 2026
  • The senator challenged Supreme Federal Court Justice Cristiano Zanin’s decision to extend voting by two hours, arguing that the uneven application of the measure had undermined equal voting conditions.
    — Alessandra Freitas, CNN Money, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of undermine
Verb
  • But like the Slip, when the tide recedes and the bar is cleaned and dried, business continues as usual.
    — Stephanie Breijo, Los Angeles Times, 29 Oct. 2026
  • That handwash sink didn’t have soap or any way to dry your dripping hands.
    — David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 29 Oct. 2026
Definition of dry
Verb
  • The regime remains capable of suppressing any organized resistance in the country, but the growing disaffection of the elite threatens to weaken the state from within.
    — Jieun Baek, Foreign Affairs, 30 Oct. 2026
  • Eisenkot's allies could also try to reverse legislation advanced by Netanyahu's government that critics say weakened Israel's democratic institutions and judicial independence.
    — Itay Stern, NPR, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of weaken
Verb
  • Some alluvial and floodplain soils can drain well and appear quite dry, yet still meet Connecticut’s definition of an inland wetland.
    — Dr. Avishesh Neupane, Hartford Courant, 1 Nov. 2026
  • Fuel that smells sour, appears darker than usual, or shows signs of separation should be drained from the lawn mower and disposed of properly, instead of combined with new fuel.
    — Timothy Dale, The Spruce, 31 Oct. 2026
Definition of drain
Verb
  • Mums easily dehydrate, which leads to brown, crunchy foliage and flower buds.
    — Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Most people wake mildly dehydrated after six to eight hours of sleep, dietitians and endocrinologists say.
    — Hanna Wickes, Kansas City Star, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of dehydrate
Verb
  • The characters are petrified like specimens, expressing and embodying only what fits into the film’s design, with no potential for inconvenient loose ends for viewers to follow outside the frame’s borders.
    — Richard Brody, New Yorker, 20 Oct. 2026
  • 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
Definition of petrify
Verb
  • This heats the air dramatically, expanding it and exhausting the hot gas at a much higher velocity than normal.
    — Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 1 Nov. 2026
  • That message resonated with Israelis exhausted by years of war, among them Hila Asayag, 49, whose son has served in Gaza and Lebanon.
    — Lior Soroka, Washington Post, 31 Oct. 2026
Definition of exhaust
Verb
  • The first two days are likely to feature weather interruptions and damp conditions suited to bowlers.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 18 Oct. 2026
  • Suspension is taken care of by 43-mm upside-down forks with adjustable rebound and compression damping, and an adjustable central spring strut at the rear.
    — Abhimanyu Ghoshal, New Atlas, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of damp

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desiccate
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Cite this Entry

“Desiccate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/desiccate. Accessed 4 Nov. 2026.

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