drying

verb

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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 Made of breathable, quick-drying fabric that helps wick away moisture, the relaxed silhouette helps promote airflow while still looking polished. — Better Homes & Gardens, 22 July 2026 Using lightweight technical yarns and relaxed silhouettes, the pieces are intended to be quick-drying and adaptable enough to work from everyday errands to formal events, in line with Silberstein’s overall ethos. — Rhonda Richford, Footwear News, 20 July 2026 While hand-washing isn’t necessary, drying does require some care. — Gabi De La Rosa, Southern Living, 20 July 2026 There’s also an impressive discount on this Wavytalk hair drying system that comes with different attachments to help style your hair into the salon-quality blowout of your dreams. — Clara McMahon, PEOPLE, 18 July 2026 Scientists at Pennsylvania State University have developed a novel conductive ink that can be painted directly onto the skin in colorful custom designs, turning into a functional electrode for biomonitoring after drying. — Jennifer Ouellette, ArsTechnica, 14 July 2026 Spray with hydrogen peroxide and wait 10 minutes before rinsing and drying. — Mary Marlowe Leverette, The Spruce, 14 July 2026 The National Weather Service said in its daily forecast summary for the region Sunday that fire weather concerns would increase later Sunday into Monday, with the potential for dry lightning, rapidly drying fuels, and gusty winds. — Carlos E. Castañeda, CBS News, 12 July 2026 Rabbit’s wide-leg EZ Pants are made of a silky, breathable blend of polyester and spandex, which keeps them airy and lends to their impressive quick-drying and anti-chafing properties. — Olivia Young, Travel + Leisure, 10 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for drying
  1. scorching
  2. fading
  3. parching
  4. withering
  5. dehydrating
  6. wilting
  7. draining
  8. desiccating
Verb
  • Often if calcium levels in the soil are too low, plants would also be exhibiting signs of deficiency including stunted growth, curling of leaves and perhaps spotting or scorching on leaves.
    — Dawn Pettinelli, Hartford Courant, 19 July 2026
  • But beyond the numbers — buoyed by a scorching 7 of 9 showing in two games at the California Classic — his form looks sound.
    — Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 19 July 2026
Definition of scorching
Verb
  • Bullish risk reversal In an attempt to capitalize on the historically expensive downside SPCX options and position for a violent snap-back, this risk reversal seeks to finance upside exposure by fading the put skew.
    — Jeff Kilburg, CNBC, 17 July 2026
  • Designed to resist fading from chlorine and sunscreen, the material will stay intact for many summers to come.
    — Alexandra Malmed, InStyle, 16 July 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
  • His case prompted a withering rebuke from the California Supreme Court, which said Kaiser’s system of arbitrating legal disputes was subject to long delays and unfair to its members.
    — Melody Petersen, Los Angeles Times, 20 July 2026
  • But his 2026 breakout has been anchored by a stump speech built around a withering take down of the president.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 18 July 2026
Definition of withering
Verb
  • Caffeine and alcohol both have dehydrating effects, so drink alcohol in moderation and alternate every drink with water or another non-alcoholic option.
    — Hanna Wickes, Miami Herald, 6 July 2026
  • Caffeine and alcohol both have dehydrating effects, so drink alcohol in moderation and alternate with non-alcoholic drinks throughout the day.
    — Hanna Wickes, Kansas City Star, 6 July 2026
Definition of dehydrating
Verb
  • Alcaraz missed this year's French Open — and Wimbledon — with a wrist injury, and Sinner was eliminated in the second round in Paris after wilting in the heat.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 12 July 2026
  • Unfortunately, hydrangeas are notorious for wilting quickly once cut, and keeping them looking fresh can prove difficult.
    — Samantha Johnson, Martha Stewart, 6 July 2026
Definition of wilting
Verb
  • Fabricating a purely electromechanical robot at the millimeter scale requires intricate, heavy motors that consume significant power, typically draining tiny batteries within mere minutes of operation.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 18 July 2026
  • Roses require nutrient-rich, well-draining soil for healthy growth.
    — Mary Marlowe Leverette, The Spruce, 16 July 2026
Definition of draining
Verb
  • 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
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 25 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on drying

Nglish: Translation of drying for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 24

Why do we say 'fly off the handle'?
See More

Popular

See More

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
chain-question-mark
Missing Link Quiz July 2026 Five seconds to figure out the word that fits bot...
See All