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 shrinking violetWhy Winter Damage Can Be Problematic for Camellias Camellias are no shrinking violets.—Patricia Shannon, Southern Living, 14 Feb. 2026 This spring there are no shrinking violets, only beguiling wallflowers.—Rosie Jarman, Vogue, 3 Jan. 2026 Emanuel, hardly a subtle shrinking violet throughout his career, nevertheless explained why things were different.—Ted Johnson, Deadline, 10 Oct. 2025 Nobody would have called it that back in the 1960s, of course, but the man who shares a name with a Roman emperor (those guys weren't shrinking violets either) tends to be the biggest presence on any starship bridge.—Richard Edwards, Space.com, 14 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for shrinking violet
Because while a mouse embryo can race through major developmental changes in a matter of hours or days, catshark embryos develop over roughly 175 days, giving researchers an unusually detailed window into transitional stages that are normally difficult to capture in rapidly-developing mammals.
—
Melissa Cristina Márquez,
Forbes.com,
18 June 2026
Researchers at the Guha Lab at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, ran a preclinical mouse study published in Nature Communications.
The real cherry on the proverbial cake, however, is the private in-villa dining experience that’s offered for an extra charge, and appears designed for honeymooners, parents who need to keep an eye on their kids, and introverts alike.
—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 June 2026
Harry Melling stars as a young introvert who meets an older biker (Alexander Skarsgård) and becomes his submissive.