as in to evaporate
to become small and wrinkly usually as a result of dehydration
Without irrigation, these plants would shrivel (up) and die.
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Recent Examples of shrivel
According to The Washington Post, a document drafted by Biden administration officials intended to limit the use of sanctions to urgent national security problems inexorably shriveled from 40 pages to eight pages of toothless recommendations.
—
Henry Farrell, Foreign Affairs, 19 Aug. 2025
At seven and a half months, the untreated mice looked small and shrivelled, with thin gray coats and curved spines.
—Dhruv Khullar, New Yorker, 11 Aug. 2025
The animals have suffered from a disease that causes parts of them to shrivel and melt away.
—Paul Rogers, Mercury News, 5 Aug. 2025
Avoid peppers that are shriveled, bruised, or have soft spots.
—Heather Riske, Better Homes & Gardens, 24 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for shrivel
Henry Farrell, Foreign Affairs, 19 Aug. 2025
At seven and a half months, the untreated mice looked small and shrivelled, with thin gray coats and curved spines.
—Dhruv Khullar, New Yorker, 11 Aug. 2025
The animals have suffered from a disease that causes parts of them to shrivel and melt away.
—Paul Rogers, Mercury News, 5 Aug. 2025
Avoid peppers that are shriveled, bruised, or have soft spots.
—Heather Riske, Better Homes & Gardens, 24 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for shrivel
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shrivel
Verb
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But the feel-good factor evaporated following a chastening 3-0 opening-weekend loss away to promoted Sunderland.—
Roshane Thomas,
New York Times,
28 Sep. 2025
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That subsidy for all public media evaporates starting Wednesday with the new federal fiscal year.—
David Folkenflik,
NPR,
27 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Hand sinks in kitchen not draining properly.—
Gege Reed,
Louisville Courier Journal,
3 Oct. 2025
-
Advertisement Between 1980 and 1988, as the war with Iraq drained the national budget, only a handful of dams were under construction.—
Nik Kowsar,
Time,
2 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Quince Flowknit Mid-Rise Jogger The Quince pants are crafted from a blend of recycled polyester and spandex, which is quick-drying, moisture-wicking, and stretchy for ultimate comfort while traveling.—
Destinee Scott,
Travel + Leisure,
1 Oct. 2025
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Rinse and dry your pan, and then swipe a light layer of oil around the cooking surface.—
Julie Harans,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
1 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Once those reserves are exhausted, China may be tempted to broker a deal to buy American soybeans, but those hopes may wither when the Southern Hemisphere's harvest season begins early next year.—
Marissa Meador,
IndyStar,
26 Sep. 2025
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Competition, however, has withered in American elections.—
Craig Gilbert,
jsonline.com,
25 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Slow-moving thunderstorms frequently unleash catastrophic downpours over the South Fork burn scar, a region still reeling from two fires that scorched over 15,000 acres and destroyed 1,400 structures.—
Alaa Elassar,
CNN Money,
1 Oct. 2025
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My throat was scorched, my tongue was swollen — and the acid would not stop coming.—
Jack Korngold,
Rolling Stone,
28 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Only the structures that were already gravitationally bound together at that moment, not including the structures that were still collapsing and contracting on their way to becoming gravitationally bound, will actually be able to hold together.—
Ethan Siegel,
Big Think,
3 Oct. 2025
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Confidence notably collapsed during the divisive 2016 presidential campaign, the polling service says, with the highest reading in the past decade being 45% in 2018.—
Dave Smith,
Fortune,
2 Oct. 2025
Verb
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But greens like spinach and Swiss chard can be sauteed in a pan until wilted.—
Lisa Cericola,
Southern Living,
26 Sep. 2025
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Crafted from faux oak leaves, pumpkins, and foliage, this pick won’t wilt or rot after several months outside, and it can even be packed away in storage to use again next year.—
Maggie Horton,
PEOPLE,
25 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The present is always coming at us so hard and fast that the unexamined past fades more from consciousness in the echo chamber of the now.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
27 Sep. 2025
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Nobody buys an Alfa Romeo to fade into the crowd.—
Mark Phelan,
USA Today,
27 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Shrivel.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shrivel. Accessed 5 Oct. 2025.
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