1
as in reducing
to make smaller in amount, volume, or extent
the long winter dwindled our supply of firewood to practically nothing
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in decreasing
to grow less in scope or intensity especially gradually
our hopes dwindled as the reports of more casualties came in
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 dwindling
Vendors blame years of dwindling foot traffic, pandemic shutdowns, safety concerns, ICE raids and rising costs, leaving many behind on rent.
—
Angela Osorio, Los Angeles Times, 22 June 2026
This weekend sees the exits of several Broadway productions – The Balusters, Chess and Celebrity Autobiography – either due to the preplanned end of a limited run or, in a couple cases, some dwindling audience demands.
—Greg Evans, Deadline, 20 June 2026
Parias' case, his attorneys say, is one that exemplifies the challenges facing many detainees in a judicial and detention system with limited resources and dwindling avenues for any recourse, including for people with no criminal record.
—Ximena Bustillo, NPR, 20 June 2026
The generation of survivors is dwindling.
—Rabbi Evan Susman, Sun Sentinel, 20 June 2026
Iran, facing a collapsing economy and dwindling reserves, agreed to the deal to buy time and negotiate from a position of survival, not defeat.
—Güney Yıldız, Forbes.com, 18 June 2026
According to its suit, the company received an allocation of about 1,200 vehicles in 2017; that number has been dwindling since.
—Byron Hurd, The Drive, 18 June 2026
Their once formidable left wing media army – led by CNN, the Washington Post and 60 Minutes – is dwindling to just a ragtag few that have forfeited their power, influence, ratings and readership.
—Joe Battenfeld, Boston Herald, 18 June 2026
Passage through the Senate is far from guaranteed, as leaders already have a packed schedule and a dwindling number of legislative days left before the November election.
—Joey Cappelletti, Chicago Tribune, 18 June 2026
Angela Osorio, Los Angeles Times, 22 June 2026
This weekend sees the exits of several Broadway productions – The Balusters, Chess and Celebrity Autobiography – either due to the preplanned end of a limited run or, in a couple cases, some dwindling audience demands.
—Greg Evans, Deadline, 20 June 2026
Parias' case, his attorneys say, is one that exemplifies the challenges facing many detainees in a judicial and detention system with limited resources and dwindling avenues for any recourse, including for people with no criminal record.
—Ximena Bustillo, NPR, 20 June 2026
The generation of survivors is dwindling.
—Rabbi Evan Susman, Sun Sentinel, 20 June 2026
Iran, facing a collapsing economy and dwindling reserves, agreed to the deal to buy time and negotiate from a position of survival, not defeat.
—Güney Yıldız, Forbes.com, 18 June 2026
According to its suit, the company received an allocation of about 1,200 vehicles in 2017; that number has been dwindling since.
—Byron Hurd, The Drive, 18 June 2026
Their once formidable left wing media army – led by CNN, the Washington Post and 60 Minutes – is dwindling to just a ragtag few that have forfeited their power, influence, ratings and readership.
—Joe Battenfeld, Boston Herald, 18 June 2026
Passage through the Senate is far from guaranteed, as leaders already have a packed schedule and a dwindling number of legislative days left before the November election.
—Joey Cappelletti, Chicago Tribune, 18 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dwindling
Verb
-
Some institutions, like the University of Arizona, are intentionally lowering class sizes to improve academic performance and graduation rates, while reducing scholarship expenses and national recruitment burdens.—
Tristan Bove,
Fortune,
20 June 2026
-
Norway's smartphone ban has already yielded results, according to some studies, including increasing students' GPAs and reducing trips to mental health professionals, particularly among female students.—
Will McCurdy,
PC Magazine,
20 June 2026
Verb
-
Others primarily improve quality of life, extend survival or delay complications without necessarily decreasing total lifetime healthcare expenditures.—
Jeffrey Wessler,
Forbes.com,
18 June 2026
-
Orbán hopes the Patriots for Europe will be a vehicle for transforming the EU to his vision, for example, by decreasing the bloc’s purview in matters of rule of law and democracy, taking a zero-tolerance approach to immigration and steering toward deeper cooperation with Russia and China.—
Justin Spike,
Los Angeles Times,
18 June 2026
Verb
-
Bars are the clear winner of these opening matches with fans spotted dancing on tables, chanting their lungs out, and depleting establishments of all libations.—
Mike Sullivan,
CBS News,
15 June 2026
-
Without congressional action, the fund is now expected to begin depleting by the fourth quarter of 2032, according to a report issued Tuesday by Social Security's trustees, the body that manages the trust fund.—
Mason Leib,
ABC News,
11 June 2026
Verb
-
Not even a hint of repercussions for diminishing the integrity of the event.—
Mirjam Swanson,
Los Angeles Times,
22 June 2026
-
The 23-page analysis also pointed to escalating public health and social services costs, declining investments in capital improvements and an outsized reliance on state and federal tax dollars as drivers of the county’s diminishing financial health.—
Jeff McDonald,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
21 June 2026
Verb
-
The afternoon started tough until the wind kept subsiding, and players began taking aim at flags.—
Assistant Sports Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
20 June 2026
-
Weather service and public safety officials said the safest thing to do is to stay away from the beaches altogether until the southern swells start subsiding.—
Rick Hurd,
Mercury News,
19 June 2026
Verb
-
Factors such as declining birth rates and families moving out of the city are contributing to declining enrollment at Denver Public Schools.—
Chierstin Roth,
CBS News,
19 June 2026
-
While one in three students nationwide experienced chronic absenteeism during the 2021-2022 academic year, the rate is declining, from up to 30% to roughly 24% by the start of the past school year, according to estimates from the Return 2 Learn tracker reviewed by ABC News.—
Arthur Jones II,
ABC News,
18 June 2026
Verb
-
As Variety explored at length in a cover story last year, this group of filmmakers have been marginalized in a post-streaming world of shrinking budgets.—
Matt Donnelly,
Variety,
17 June 2026
-
The window is closing Lawmakers still have options, but the menu is shrinking fast.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
17 June 2026
Verb
-
LaBarge frequently interrupts the telling to braid her narrative so tautly with those of others that their language blurs together, quotation marks vanishing, lines of demarcation eroding.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
18 June 2026
-
Concerns of a serial killer first emerged in late 2010 after the disappearance of Shannan Gilbert, a 23-year-old woman who placed panicked 911 calls from the Oak Beach community before vanishing into the surrounding marsh.—
Michael Ruiz , Stepheny Price,
FOXNews.com,
17 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dwindling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dwindling. Accessed 24 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
