as in to weaken
to lose bodily strength or vigor
without adequate medical supplies, doctors could only look on helplessly as cholera victims continued to emaciate
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Recent Examples of emaciate
Ruby’s 10-year-old daughter was also found in the house emaciated, and the two women were arrested and held without bail.
—
Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 11 Oct. 2024
At barely five pounds, Matilda was emaciated and clinging to life when the Monmouth County Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals took her in.
—Kathleen Hopkins, USA TODAY, 30 May 2023
Six dead giraffes, bodies emaciated from the lack of food and water, photographed by Ed Ram, show the horror of Kenya’s prolonged ongoing drought, which has threatened and displaced animals and humans alike.
—Nell Lewis, CNN, 29 Mar. 2023
Past herds of cows wandering through busy settlements along the highway in search of water, so emaciated their ribs were showing.
—Jada Yuan, Washington Post, 24 Feb. 2023
Many were emaciated, unlike the examples in the current study.
—Joshua Sokol, New York Times, 25 Feb. 2020
Three of them were severely malnourished and the rest were emaciated, according to the Sheriff's Office.
—James Carr, azcentral, 21 Feb. 2020
Detectives noted that much of the food in the home was locked away and that James' body was emaciated when found.
—Sarah Sarder, Houston Chronicle, 18 Feb. 2020
Scores of common murres, one of the most prolific seabirds, washed up on beaches, and many were emaciated, the researchers said.
—oregonlive, 21 Jan. 2020
Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 11 Oct. 2024
At barely five pounds, Matilda was emaciated and clinging to life when the Monmouth County Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals took her in.
—Kathleen Hopkins, USA TODAY, 30 May 2023
Six dead giraffes, bodies emaciated from the lack of food and water, photographed by Ed Ram, show the horror of Kenya’s prolonged ongoing drought, which has threatened and displaced animals and humans alike.
—Nell Lewis, CNN, 29 Mar. 2023
Past herds of cows wandering through busy settlements along the highway in search of water, so emaciated their ribs were showing.
—Jada Yuan, Washington Post, 24 Feb. 2023
Many were emaciated, unlike the examples in the current study.
—Joshua Sokol, New York Times, 25 Feb. 2020
Three of them were severely malnourished and the rest were emaciated, according to the Sheriff's Office.
—James Carr, azcentral, 21 Feb. 2020
Detectives noted that much of the food in the home was locked away and that James' body was emaciated when found.
—Sarah Sarder, Houston Chronicle, 18 Feb. 2020
Scores of common murres, one of the most prolific seabirds, washed up on beaches, and many were emaciated, the researchers said.
—oregonlive, 21 Jan. 2020
Recent Examples of Synonyms for emaciate
Verb
-
Sinlaku is forecast to continue weakening through the next few days, the National Weather Service said, passing west of the islands of Alamagan, Pagan and Agrihan through the latter half of the week.—
Emily Mae Czachor,
CBS News,
15 Apr. 2026
-
Some target the bacterial cell wall, weakening it until the cell breaks apart and dies.—
Panteha Torabian,
The Conversation,
14 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
When momentum faded, the stock rolled over, and those same lines flipped to resistance on the way down.—
Frank Cappelleri,
CNBC,
10 Apr. 2026
-
The letters are printed on the sides of the keys rather than the top, which prevents fading.—
BestReviews,
Mercury News,
10 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
In the courtroom, Alfortish’s face looked gaunt after spending roughly a year in prison, and his hair, thinning now, had gone white.—
Patrick Radden Keefe,
New Yorker,
13 Apr. 2026
-
The Nets, who went 26-56 last season, have lost four consecutive season finales.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
13 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The Retinal ReSculpt Body Treatment dramatically lifts, firms, and tightens sagging, crepey skin and smooths the appearance of cellulite and stretch marks.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
11 Apr. 2026
-
However, customer reviews of durability are mixed, as some report sagging after a few years of use.—
Alora Bopray,
USA Today,
10 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
All of this will be powered by a Multi-Mission Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator (MMRTG) that converts the heat of decaying plutonium into electricity; this is commonly used on deep-space missions.—
Phil Plait,
Scientific American,
10 Apr. 2026
-
Remove decaying leaves from containers and empty out the saucers after watering.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
10 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Minnesota had another power-play chance after Rantanen's slashing penalty with 2 1/2 minutes left, but failed to score even with an extra skater after pulling Filip Gustavsson out of the net.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
11 Apr. 2026
-
But that figure predates major advances in cleanup technology and fails to account for available state and federal funding.—
Charles Rilli,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
10 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Emaciate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/emaciate. Accessed 16 Apr. 2026.
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