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
-
For the country’s leadership, weakened militarily and more isolated than ever, inflicting economic suffering has become the most powerful weapon available.—
Sudarsan Raghavan,
New Yorker,
25 Mar. 2026
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Continuous support could theoretically weaken muscles, so experts advise mixing exo use with traditional ergonomics and exercise.—
Srishti Gupta,
Interesting Engineering,
24 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
But in 2026, such dreams faded fast.—
Caoimhe O'Neill,
New York Times,
21 Mar. 2026
-
The Ravel composition for which the film is named plays over a black screen, then fades into birdsong.—
Holden Seidlitz,
New Yorker,
20 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Having faced Big Ten physicality all season, first-year Iowa coach Ben McCollum’s team went toe to toe with Florida’s punishing front court.—
Edgar Thompson,
The Orlando Sentinel,
23 Mar. 2026
-
Part of the money will also go toward expansion of Philander Smith's health education facilities, including space for soon-to-be radiologists and phlebotomists.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
23 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Release, for contouring and pressure relief; and Adaptive, to keep the bed from sagging.—
Nashia Baker,
Architectural Digest,
19 Mar. 2026
-
The roof flakes, the porch sags.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
18 Mar. 2026
Verb
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In theory, beryllium-8 normally decays into two helium-4 nuclei.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
19 Mar. 2026
-
But the one proposed in Hartford comes between a bailout and the current reality of decaying infrastructure.—
Kenneth R. Gosselin,
Hartford Courant,
16 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
That too is likely to fail as lawmakers hold a rare weekend session.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
21 Mar. 2026
-
After failing to score in three consecutive league games, Farke must be tempted to tweak the system.—
Beren Cross,
New York Times,
20 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Emaciate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/emaciate. Accessed 27 Mar. 2026.
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