as in quieting (down)
to stop talking
sick of her constant complaining, he angrily told her to dry up
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Recent Examples of drying up
As the goals are drying up from other positions, Watkins’ steady slide is more keenly felt now than in the early months of the campaign.
—
Jacob Tanswell, New York Times, 3 Mar. 2026
Maybe the big money for college assistants finally is drying up.
—Michael Cunningham, AJC.com, 2 Mar. 2026
But the main issue — and this has impacted all the major megacap tech stocks over the past few weeks — is that free cash flow is drying up due to ambitious capital expenditure plans.
—Jeff Marks, CNBC, 17 Feb. 2026
Elsewhere, lakes are drying up, and dams are flooding millennia-old villages and historic sites.
—Literary Hub, 10 Feb. 2026
Climate change itself has become a major risk factor, with heatwaves disabling power plants and droughts drying up hydro reservoirs.
—Scott Montgomery, Forbes.com, 30 Jan. 2026
In 2019, lawmakers approved a moratorium on new mines to protect the aquifer — and the streams and springs that flow from it — from drying up until further studies can be done.
—Kayla Branch, The Frontier, 12 Jan. 2026
The health of the debt market is in sharp contrast to that of regional stock exchanges, where indices are lagging the US and emerging markets and the flow of IPOs is drying up.
—Dominic Dudley, semafor.com, 30 Dec. 2025
On Saturday, funding for SNAP federal food assistance drying up.
—ABC News, 2 Nov. 2025
Jacob Tanswell, New York Times, 3 Mar. 2026
Maybe the big money for college assistants finally is drying up.
—Michael Cunningham, AJC.com, 2 Mar. 2026
But the main issue — and this has impacted all the major megacap tech stocks over the past few weeks — is that free cash flow is drying up due to ambitious capital expenditure plans.
—Jeff Marks, CNBC, 17 Feb. 2026
Elsewhere, lakes are drying up, and dams are flooding millennia-old villages and historic sites.
—Literary Hub, 10 Feb. 2026
Climate change itself has become a major risk factor, with heatwaves disabling power plants and droughts drying up hydro reservoirs.
—Scott Montgomery, Forbes.com, 30 Jan. 2026
In 2019, lawmakers approved a moratorium on new mines to protect the aquifer — and the streams and springs that flow from it — from drying up until further studies can be done.
—Kayla Branch, The Frontier, 12 Jan. 2026
The health of the debt market is in sharp contrast to that of regional stock exchanges, where indices are lagging the US and emerging markets and the flow of IPOs is drying up.
—Dominic Dudley, semafor.com, 30 Dec. 2025
On Saturday, funding for SNAP federal food assistance drying up.
—ABC News, 2 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for drying up
Verb
-
Less sweat-trapping than many synthetic jackets, the Oreus kept me from clamming up while ski-touring in five-degree temps and dissipated sweat quickly when worn after strenuous climbs.—
Kelly Bastone,
Outside,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
And this team is taking a particular delight in shutting up and shutting down their rivals.—
Jon Greenberg,
New York Times,
11 Jan. 2026
-
Sky News is shutting up shop on its dedicated business show after more than a decade.—
Jake Kanter,
Deadline,
18 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
There are a lot of ways to declutter out there—the pile method and the discernment method are two of them, and now, everyone’s hushing their house.—
Quincy Bulin,
Southern Living,
28 Dec. 2025
-
Unfortunately, the austerity and elegance of the downstairs dining room acts as a dampener, hushing the salad’s brashness and sapping much of the fun.—
Helen Rosner,
New Yorker,
14 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
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
“Drying up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/drying%20up. Accessed 9 Mar. 2026.
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