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
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With some estimates putting wave heights as much as 35 feet, weakened hatch covers would have been vulnerable to such waves.—
Stephen J. Beard,
USA Today,
7 Nov. 2025
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The years of horrific violence have weakened Sudan, plunging its institutions into chaos and making its population more vulnerable and poorer.—
Ivana Kottasová,
CNN Money,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
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For one night, under cold rain and flickering red lights, the noise faded.—
Ira Gorawara,
New York Times,
9 Nov. 2025
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Once summer flowers fade and growth stops, start cleaning up the garden.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
Southern Living,
8 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Unfortunately, Packers quarterback Jordan Love will go into the game without one of his top receiving threats, who came into the game with a questionable tag.—
Reice Shipley,
MSNBC Newsweek,
11 Nov. 2025
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The company count included insiders like Musk, who held around a 15% stake in Tesla going into the proxy and was allowed to vote his shares.—
Lora Kolodny,
CNBC,
11 Nov. 2025
Verb
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The Balenciaga tunics seemed similarly austere, until the models did an about-face, revealing a slit that sagged open seductively.—
Miles Socha,
Footwear News,
7 Nov. 2025
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The Democratic margin in those counties had sagged in 2021, when Republican Glenn Youngkin won the governor’s race, and in 2024, when Kamala Harris eked out a surprisingly narrow win.—
Ronald Brownstein,
Mercury News,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
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The decaying Avenger is one of a dozen wrecks in three very different underwater environments — the western Pacific Ocean off Saipan, Lake Huron, shared by Michigan and Ontario, and the Italian Mediterranean — investigated as part of the ambitious pilot project involving eDNA.—
Katie Hunt,
CNN Money,
7 Nov. 2025
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The place is decaying and strict, but Luna refuses to give in to its rules.—
John Hopewell,
Variety,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
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The Tigers also failed on their lone fourth-down attempt, a fourth-and-5 at the Texas A&M 27.—
Maddie Hartley,
Kansas City Star,
9 Nov. 2025
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The Horned Frogs outgained Iowa State 432-272, but failed to come out on top as the Cyclones snapped their four-game losing streak.—
Steven Johnson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
9 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Emaciate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/emaciate. Accessed 15 Nov. 2025.
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