as in to quiet (down)
to stop talking
sick of her constant complaining, he angrily told her to dry up
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 dry up
The engagement drops, the inquiries dry up and nobody can pinpoint why because nothing looks broken.
—
Victoria Chynoweth, Rolling Stone, 12 May 2026
Federal funds for health care are drying up.
—Mercury News & East Bay Times Editorial Boards, Mercury News, 8 May 2026
Tampa Bay and Pittsburgh were among the league leaders in offense during the regular season, but saw scoring dry up in the first round of the playoffs.
—Jesse Granger, New York Times, 6 May 2026
At the same time, the supply of affordable cars has largely dried up, Drury said.
—Annie Nova, CNBC, 6 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for dry up
Victoria Chynoweth, Rolling Stone, 12 May 2026
Federal funds for health care are drying up.
—Mercury News & East Bay Times Editorial Boards, Mercury News, 8 May 2026
Tampa Bay and Pittsburgh were among the league leaders in offense during the regular season, but saw scoring dry up in the first round of the playoffs.
—Jesse Granger, New York Times, 6 May 2026
At the same time, the supply of affordable cars has largely dried up, Drury said.
—Annie Nova, CNBC, 6 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for dry up
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dry up
Verb
-
Maggie saw couples pointing, whispering hushed opinions to each other.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
8 May 2026
-
These Beats Studio Pros are sleek enough to wear everywhere and powerful enough to hush airplane hum or chatty seatmates.—
Chaise Sanders,
Travel + Leisure,
3 May 2026
Verb
-
Everyone in the theater clammed up, as if embarrassed to have endorsed Max with laughter.—
Jackson McHenry,
Vulture,
29 Apr. 2026
-
Your language model would clam up from time to time to conserve its resources.—
Amanda Gefter,
Quanta Magazine,
10 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Even when the houselights dim mid-overture some of them still don’t shut up.—
Christopher Arnott,
Hartford Courant,
3 May 2026
-
Because integralism doesn’t include the idea that the Pope should shut up on certain issues.—
Catherina Gioino,
Fortune,
2 May 2026
Verb
-
During a January thaw, water trickled from a burst pipe down an interior wall, into a basement storage closet, and ruined all of Dora’s wedding dresses.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
26 Mar. 2026
-
The Softstreme Classic-fit High-rise Joggers have piping down the front that creates a more elevated look, while deep pockets and a comfortable, flat waistband lend themselves to comfort and practicality.—
Merrell Readman,
Travel + Leisure,
5 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dry up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dry%20up. Accessed 13 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
