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
But soaring operating costs, low customer loyalty and the drying up of investor money ultimately caused most to fail before the pandemic was over, analysts said.
—
Anne D’innocenzio, Los Angeles Times, 12 May 2026
In the world of art, media and design, cash flow can feel fickle, often flowing strongly one month and drying up the next.
—Rhett Power, Rolling Stone, 6 May 2026
Ponds and streams are drying up.
—Charles Seabrook, AJC.com, 2 May 2026
Snowballing challenges While things came to a head this week with access to cash drying up, Spirit’s problems were years in the making.
—Leslie Josephs, CNBC, 2 May 2026
Prior production within a region is not necessarily a sign that materials within an area are drying up, but a signal of underlying geological potential.
—William Jones, USA Today, 29 Apr. 2026
The legitimate options of where the value of the pick met their need were drying up.
—Joe Buscaglia, New York Times, 25 Apr. 2026
Gen Z in particular, whose entry-level roles are drying up, is bearing the brunt of a push for better working conditions.
—Preston Fore, Fortune, 14 Apr. 2026
With customer demand drying up for luxury EVs, and federal incentives getting axed by vengeful Republicans, Mercedes put its first-generation EVs on ice.
—Andrew J. Hawkins, The Verge, 13 Apr. 2026
Anne D’innocenzio, Los Angeles Times, 12 May 2026
In the world of art, media and design, cash flow can feel fickle, often flowing strongly one month and drying up the next.
—Rhett Power, Rolling Stone, 6 May 2026
Ponds and streams are drying up.
—Charles Seabrook, AJC.com, 2 May 2026
Snowballing challenges While things came to a head this week with access to cash drying up, Spirit’s problems were years in the making.
—Leslie Josephs, CNBC, 2 May 2026
Prior production within a region is not necessarily a sign that materials within an area are drying up, but a signal of underlying geological potential.
—William Jones, USA Today, 29 Apr. 2026
The legitimate options of where the value of the pick met their need were drying up.
—Joe Buscaglia, New York Times, 25 Apr. 2026
Gen Z in particular, whose entry-level roles are drying up, is bearing the brunt of a push for better working conditions.
—Preston Fore, Fortune, 14 Apr. 2026
With customer demand drying up for luxury EVs, and federal incentives getting axed by vengeful Republicans, Mercedes put its first-generation EVs on ice.
—Andrew J. Hawkins, The Verge, 13 Apr. 2026
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
-
The core Mom skills — listening, caring, advising; maybe a little nagging, maybe shutting up — never go away.—
Andre Mouchard,
Daily News,
9 May 2026
-
And this team is taking a particular delight in shutting up and shutting down their rivals.—
Jon Greenberg,
New York Times,
11 Jan. 2026
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 19 May. 2026.
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