1
as in undermining
to deprive of emotional or intellectual vitality
overuse has devitalized many a once-striking figure of speech
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in weakening
to diminish the physical strength of
she was devitalized by the infection
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for devitalizing
Verb
-
Congress can pursue fiscal responsibility without undermining one of the most focused and effective nutrition programs in the federal government.—
Sam Raus,
The Orlando Sentinel,
29 May 2026 -
If organizations aren’t careful, their approach to AI will split their workforce into haves and have-nots, undermining the technology’s benefits.—
Matt Rosenbaum,
Fortune,
29 May 2026
Verb
-
Brooks Koepka, who rejoined the PGA Tour from LIV Golf in January, withdrew from the Charles Schwab Challenge at the last minute despite being originally scheduled to play, further weakening the field.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
31 May 2026
-
Second, some worry that some of the financial safeguards and market disciplines developed after previous crises may be weakening.—
Robert Ginsburg,
Forbes.com,
31 May 2026
Verb
-
All this self-agonizing left the rest of the cast and crew waiting around for hours, their goodwill draining away.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
26 May 2026
-
To save space, grow several shade-tolerant herbs together in a large container (such as a half whiskey barrel) with some well-draining potting mix.—
Rita Pelczar,
Better Homes & Gardens,
26 May 2026
Verb
-
This caused the alpha-molybdenum trioxide to buckle under the stress, while at the same time softening the silica underneath.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
24 May 2026
-
But some hotel bookings appear to be softening.—
Chris Isidore,
CNN Money,
24 May 2026
Verb
-
But eventually, the structure itself needs to be questioned, because getting that balance right becomes the difference between retaining strong leaders and slowly exhausting them.—
Bronwen Sciortino,
Forbes.com,
27 May 2026
-
Sliding effortlessly from incisive observer to chaotic flirt to exhausting narcissist, Firstman is never not in on the joke.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
13 May 2026
Verb
-
The International Football Association Board (IFAB) has announced a raft of landmark rule changes that will come into force ahead of this summer’s World Cup, with the overarching objectives being to tackle discrimination, cut time-wasting, increase match tempo and improve fan and player experience.—
Jordan Campbell,
New York Times,
31 May 2026
-
Getting warships into the water is hard enough without wasting funds on vessels unlikely ever to sail.—
Editorial,
Boston Herald,
30 May 2026
Verb
-
Campbell, the North Carolina folk singer, describes an enervating process marked by back-and-forth exchanges and lots of waiting.—
Jon Blistein,
Rolling Stone,
25 Mar. 2026
-
Jenny deflected me with enervating ease.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
13 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Sam Lambert laid down a safety squeeze, deadening the ball in front of the plate and scoring Balls to trim the lead to 3-1.—
Dave Montrose,
The Orlando Sentinel,
16 May 2026
-
Another suggestion was requiring special sound-deadening balls, currently available, that lower the decibel levels considerably.—
John Ramos,
CBS News,
16 Mar. 2026
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.
Cite this Entry
“Devitalizing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/devitalizing. Accessed 3 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
