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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 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 Dried ginger has more antioxidants than fresh ginger because drying concentrates its components and makes some compounds more potent. — Kathleen Ferraro, Verywell Health, 15 Sep. 2026 Iowa State University Extension recommends thoroughly drying coriander seeds after they’re collected. — Rachel Gillett, Martha Stewart, 15 Sep. 2026 This award-winning face cleanser removes dirt, impurities and makeup without stripping or over-drying. — ABC News, 14 Sep. 2026 Bowman also said to skip fabric conditioner and tumbling drying to help preserve fibers. — Angela Velasquez, Footwear News, 14 Sep. 2026 Colby Ayers of Euless is an avid bird watcher who frequented the Village Creek drying beds for two decades. — Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 11 Sep. 2026 In 2020, as the coronavirus pandemic canceled his classes, Fernández began experimenting with drying ripe plantains, mangos and pineapples. — Rick Jervis, USA Today, 10 Sep. 2026 After washing, the appliance can move through steam sanitization and hot-air drying before entering a 72-hour antibacterial storage mode, which circulates filtered air to help keep cleaned parts dry and ready for use. — New Atlas, 9 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
  • The Ross Fire in Palo Pinto County has been fully extinguished after burning for 23 days and scorching roughly 90,000 acres across North Texas.
    — Amelia Mugavero, CBS News, 17 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
  • Any leftover spotty shower threat is fading quickly, and the afternoon and evening look dry.
    — Kate Bilo, CBS News, 18 Sep. 2026
  • The winning nail polishes, topcoats, and press-ons are selected for their ability to resist chips, peeling, and fading through everyday wear.
    — Elizabeth Siegel, Allure, 17 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
  • Some reports suggested Bonta’s office sought the negotiations amid withering political pressure.
    — Meg James, Los Angeles Times, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Everything was growing all at once, all over the place, blooming, withering, and crashing to the earth.
    — Kendra Nordin Beato, Christian Science Monitor, 21 Aug. 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
  • Every night before dinner, my father would perform this ritual—rinsing and draining, then setting the pot in the cooker.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 17 Sep. 2026
  • In fact, many expensive features can turn into money pits, draining your budget without adding any resale appeal.
    — Angelika Pokovba, Martha Stewart, 16 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
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Cite this Entry

“Drying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/drying. Accessed 20 Sep. 2026.

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