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drying

verb

present participle of dry
1
as in scorching
to make dry the wind quickly dried their clothes

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in fading
to lose liveliness, force, or freshness his creative talents were just drying on the vine in that small, provincial town

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 drying There’s also a tack room, where riding equipment is stored, along with spaces for feeding, washing, and drying horses. — Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 23 Sep. 2026 MILKist introduced the original recipe, but the women helped test thicknesses, drying methods, natural-color applications and other changes based on how each sheet would be used. — Alexandra Harrell, Footwear News, 23 Sep. 2026 The product is applied to dry lengths and ends and works diligently to tame flyaways once you’re done drying. — Valeriya Chupinina, Vogue, 22 Sep. 2026 The five requirements from the MoD for any alternatives must cover water absorption, water penetration, appearance, drying rate and compression. — James Frater, CNN Money, 20 Sep. 2026 Use gentle cycles, cold water, and air drying to protect fabrics and maintain softness. — Sheila Kim, The Spruce, 18 Sep. 2026 Many of the winners are easy to use, quick to apply, and beginner-friendly, including press-on kits, fast-drying polishes and topcoats, and nourishing base layers. — Elizabeth Siegel, Allure, 17 Sep. 2026 Where canoes once rested beside fishing nets drying in the sun, housing developments and new infrastructure have appeared. — Sebastián López Brach, The Dial, 15 Sep. 2026 Iowa State University Extension recommends thoroughly drying coriander seeds after they’re collected. — Rachel Gillett, Martha Stewart, 15 Sep. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for drying
  1. scorching
  2. fading
  3. parching
  4. withering
  5. dehydrating
  6. wilting
  7. draining
  8. desiccating
Verb
  • When Cody Turcotte arrived to fight a wildfire scorching homes in Spokane, Washington, last month, there weren't enough people at the scene to control it.
    — Emily Mae Czachor, CBS News, 21 Sep. 2026
  • These hardy plants withstand extreme weather, from scorching heat to harsh winters.
    — Abby Monteil, The Spruce, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of scorching
Verb
  • Long before the Ellisons arrived on the scene, Pluto’s star had started fading as rivals Tubi and Roku became more popular.
    — Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 21 Sep. 2026
  • The film’s cast is mostly made up of tribal non-actors, but Anghlong Konyak is its captivating center, as a man whose stubbornness against change sits alongside a lingering grief over his fading way of life.
    — Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 20 Sep. 2026
Definition of fading
Verb
  • Many of them, like Tubbs, were refugee Midwesterners, sick of parching droughts and devouring plagues of locusts, the insects descending in buzzing clouds thick enough to blacken the noonday sun.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 10 July 2026
  • Alegria also sees wild rice production growing using the traditional Indigenous methods of drying, parching, dancing and winnowing at rice camps in northern Wisconsin.
    — Frank Vaisvilas, jsonline.com, 4 Dec. 2025
Definition of parching
Verb
  • BepiColombo’s laser instrument should confirm how much Mercury is withering as a result of internal cooling, said Gaku Nishiyama, the study’s lead author, who is taking part in the space mission.
    — Marcia Dunn, Los Angeles Times, 13 Sep. 2026
  • BepiColombo's laser instrument should confirm how much Mercury is withering as a result of internal cooling, said Gaku Nishiyama, the study's lead author who is taking part in the space mission.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of withering
Verb
  • In addition to air-frying, the Joule also has toasting, baking, broiling, roasting, proofing, reheating, slow cooking, warming and dehydrating functions, as well as settings for bagels, pizza and cookies.
    — BestReviews, Mercury News, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Guidance from Michigan State University recommends pretreating fruit by soaking it in a mixture of vitamin C (ascorbic acid) and cold water, and steam blanching vegetables before dehydrating them.
    — Lauren Schuster, Kansas City Star, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of dehydrating
Verb
  • In the fall different flowers, the last of the season, will be finally wilting.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 24 Aug. 2026
  • Sinner, who needed the title to complete a career Grand Slam of his own, lost to Argentina’s Juan Manuel Cerúndolo from the verge of victory, wilting in the heat of Paris and with no little help from an illness.
    — James Hansen, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of wilting
Verb
  • One floor sink at the cook’s line was clogged and not draining due to oil and grease buildup.
    — Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 25 Sep. 2026
  • To set your lettuce up for success, plant it in an area with full sun and slightly acidic, well-draining soil.
    — The Spruce, The Spruce, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of draining
Verb
  • In the Rocky Mountains, years of extreme heat and drought have baked the landscape, drying up streams that feed the Colorado River and desiccating pastures where cattle graze.
    — Ian James, Los Angeles Times, 5 Sep. 2026
  • Suddenly, pest populations are large enough to make a meaningful impact, and one too many afternoons of 100+ degree weather have begun desiccating leaves.
    — Anthony Reardon, Kansas City Star, 2 Aug. 2026
Definition of desiccating

Browse Nearby Words

dry-cleans
drying
drying up
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Drying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/drying. Accessed 27 Sep. 2026.

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