as in to fade
to lose bodily strength or vigor
older people, especially, were languishing during the prolonged heat wave
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Recent Examples of languish
Then the bill languished in the House.
—
Lisa Mascaro, Chicago Tribune, 30 Apr. 2026
Her nomination had languished since her confirmation hearing in late February, even as activists from the MAHA movement orchestrated a push to support her bid by surging phone calls to Republican Sens.
—Ali Swenson, Los Angeles Times, 30 Apr. 2026
The neighborhood has long fought for equitable infrastructure, having languished at the hands of segregation and federal housing policies.
—Nick Sullivan, Charlotte Observer, 28 Apr. 2026
On the flipside, since wrapping principal photography in December 2021, Desert Warrior has languished in postproduction hell.
—Chris Lee, Vulture, 27 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for languish
Lisa Mascaro, Chicago Tribune, 30 Apr. 2026
Her nomination had languished since her confirmation hearing in late February, even as activists from the MAHA movement orchestrated a push to support her bid by surging phone calls to Republican Sens.
—Ali Swenson, Los Angeles Times, 30 Apr. 2026
The neighborhood has long fought for equitable infrastructure, having languished at the hands of segregation and federal housing policies.
—Nick Sullivan, Charlotte Observer, 28 Apr. 2026
On the flipside, since wrapping principal photography in December 2021, Desert Warrior has languished in postproduction hell.
—Chris Lee, Vulture, 27 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for languish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for languish
Verb
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Between items that are dated and faded, here are a handful of outdoor decor pieces that designers say are always eyesores.—
Tessa Cooper,
The Spruce,
1 May 2026
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Public conversation centers on politics, blame, and strategy, while children fade into the background.—
Letters to the Editor,
Hartford Courant,
1 May 2026
Verb
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The deeper the rifts between the United States and Europe over Iran, the greater the chances of weakening the NATO alliance.—
Sudarsan Raghavan,
New Yorker,
28 Apr. 2026
-
During his appearances on Capitol Hill this month, Secretary Kennendy was grilled about the administration's defense of the pesticide industry and weakening of protections against mercury pollution, another issue that Kennedy had worked on as an advocate.—
Will Stone,
NPR,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
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These were all things the Storm should have been celebrating afterward, but yet, for the second week in a row, the coaches and players will be headed back to the film room to figure out what went wrong.—
Chris Hays,
The Orlando Sentinel,
4 May 2026
-
Player of the Week Senior pitcher Jaelynn Anthony goes 4-for-5 for Oswego with three homers, a double and seven RBIs in 14-6 win over Minooka.—
Rick Armstrong,
Chicago Tribune,
4 May 2026
Verb
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The front glass had been blown out, a support beam knocked askew and ceiling panels sagging inside.—
Tammy Ljungblad,
Kansas City Star,
30 Apr. 2026
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The front will sag south, and warm air from the Gulf of Mexico will ride over cooler air near the ground, helping rain stick around longer.—
Newsroom Meteorologist,
Houston Chronicle,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The carrier failed to secure a financial lifeline to continue operating, ending the discount air travel pioneer’s time in the sky, costing some 17,000 jobs and thousands of cheap flights in the market.—
Leslie Josephs,
CNBC,
2 May 2026
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The Kings have failed to advance beyond the first round in seven consecutive postseasons since winning the Stanley Cup in 2014, including six first-round exits since team president Luc Robitaille took ultimate charge of hockey operations in 2017.—
Greg Beacham,
Los Angeles Times,
2 May 2026
Verb
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Suggs set the tone for the series in the opening quarter of Game 1, disrupting Pistons passes, sinking a pair of 3-pointers and belly-flopping to the floor to collect a loose basketball.—
Josh Robbins,
New York Times,
1 May 2026
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The cold front will sink south into our area Tuesday evening, into Wednesday.—
Steven Sosna,
CBS News,
1 May 2026
Verb
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Ohm, well played by Scott who can wither with you with a look, is the classic ugly American and is rude to everyone at the hotel, but those putdowns and cruelty hides his self loathing.—
Randy Myers,
Mercury News,
30 Apr. 2026
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But without original ideas in the product pipeline, the company would wither on the vine despite its many long-running hits, Zelnick observed.—
Cynthia Littleton,
Variety,
30 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Languish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/languish. Accessed 8 May. 2026.
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