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
Concern is also growing over how salaries have lagged behind inflation, shriveling in value and squeezing household budgets.
—
Isabel Debre, Fortune, 11 Feb. 2026
Many plants look shriveled up and dead, but are actually just conserving water and energy during the cold winter months.
—Ashley Chalmers, The Spruce, 11 Feb. 2026
Before kick-off, their home record is identical to Newcastle’s away — won two, drawn four, lost six — but when the game begins, the similarities shrivel.
—George Caulkin, New York Times, 11 Feb. 2026
In earlier work, Rosenblatt’s team watched as some cells dumped their water and shriveled up like raisins before being extruded; indeed, this shrinkage seemed to kick off the process.
—Elise Cutts, Quanta Magazine, 12 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for shrivel
Isabel Debre, Fortune, 11 Feb. 2026
Many plants look shriveled up and dead, but are actually just conserving water and energy during the cold winter months.
—Ashley Chalmers, The Spruce, 11 Feb. 2026
Before kick-off, their home record is identical to Newcastle’s away — won two, drawn four, lost six — but when the game begins, the similarities shrivel.
—George Caulkin, New York Times, 11 Feb. 2026
In earlier work, Rosenblatt’s team watched as some cells dumped their water and shriveled up like raisins before being extruded; indeed, this shrinkage seemed to kick off the process.
—Elise Cutts, Quanta Magazine, 12 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for shrivel
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shrivel
Verb
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And the talent gap between Self’s program and the rest the Big 12 has all but evaporated thanks to NIL and other factors.—
Shreyas Laddha,
Kansas City Star,
6 Mar. 2026
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Many of the chemicals found beneath Atlas evaporate at room temperature and sneak into buildings through cracks in foundations, floor drains or other gaps — a process known as vapor intrusion.—
Tony Briscoe,
Los Angeles Times,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Use your hands to agitate the greens (this will dislodge any stubborn bits of grit or dirt), then drain and spin dry.—
Riley Wofford,
Martha Stewart,
5 Mar. 2026
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Improper Amount of Water Dogwoods prefer well-draining soil, and excessive watering can affect the number of flowers (and leaves) on the tree.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
Southern Living,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
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It’s been dried, stripped of bark, sanded to silky smoothness, stained, sealed and painstakingly carved.—
Kathy Gurchiek,
AJC.com,
10 Mar. 2026
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The mascara dries quickly, and there’s no mess or smudging.—
Jacquelyn Smith,
Parents,
10 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Businesses in border towns like Buffalo and Bellingham, Washington, are withering.—
Nathaniel Meyersohn,
CNN Money,
5 Mar. 2026
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Cuba’s tourism industry is withering amid severe blackouts, dwindling oil reserves and heightened tensions with the United States.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
4 Mar. 2026
Verb
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In a region where weather swings from paralyzing ice storms to scorching summers, these elements carry weight.—
Mary Grace Granados
Special Contributor,
Dallas Morning News,
5 Mar. 2026
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How to Cope When spending time outdoors in scorching weather, protect yourself by hydrating frequently, avoiding the hottest time of day, and seeking shade when possible.—
Becky Upham,
EverydayHealth.com,
4 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Degrading Iran’s war machine The larger munitions would have likely been used to penetrate underground facilities, destroy missile launch bunkers, and collapse tunnels or storage depots.—
Christopher McFadden,
Interesting Engineering,
8 Mar. 2026
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This side-splitting comedy follows the same well-meaning troupe from The Play That Goes Wrong, whose latest attempt at staging Peter Pan quickly collapses into chaos.—
Cincinnati Enquirer,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
7 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Plants infected by the bacterial disease transmitted by these beetles show wilting with a single leaf, which then spreads to the entire plant and results in plant death within a week or so, says Khan.—
Arricca Elin SanSone,
Southern Living,
7 Mar. 2026
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Allow the soil to dry slightly between waterings, but don’t let the seedlings wilt.—
Holly McNamara,
Hartford Courant,
7 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Three days later, Litmus Test faded to third place in his first start of the year, the Rebel Stakes at Oaklawn Park in Arkansas.—
Jay Posner,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Mar. 2026
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What sympathy there may have been for a cornered, bruised Iranian regime among its neighbors has faded in the face of Tehran’s escalation.—
Ishaan Tharoor,
New Yorker,
6 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Shrivel.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shrivel. Accessed 12 Mar. 2026.
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