SHRIVEL Synonyms: 50 Similar and Opposite Words

shrivel

verb

Definition of shrivel

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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Example Sentences

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 shrivel Nidhi imagined the baby crawling around in her mother’s body, desperately seeking the uterus, and, failing to find it in its proper place, quietly shrivelling up and dying. — Madhuri Vijay, New Yorker, 16 Aug. 2026 Smaller ones may cook and shrivel up before the larger ones are tender. — Alesandra Dubin, Southern Living, 24 July 2026 For decades, so much water has been taken that the river seldom meets the sea in Mexico, and its delta, once filled with lush wetlands and forests, has shriveled to stretches of dry riverbed. — Ian James, Los Angeles Times, 21 July 2026 Check monthly for signs of shriveling (add moisture), blackening or softening (discard). — Tim Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 11 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for shrivel

Recent Examples of Synonyms for shrivel

Verb

Farming jobs evaporated as technologies, from fertilizers to combines, enabled greater productivity, automation, and consolidation.

— Ali Kashani, Fortune, 10 Oct. 2026
In facilities equipped with evaporative cooling towers, some of the circulating water evaporates, carrying heat out of the data center into the atmosphere.

— Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 9 Oct. 2026

Definition of evaporate

Verb

Flash flooding is of greatest concern in the Jonas Ridge, Ginger Cake Acres and Pisgah National Forest areas, along with streams and waterways that drain toward Lake James, Burke County officials said.

— Joe Marusak, Charlotte Observer, 9 Oct. 2026
On the ground floor, outside the main building, a humanoid was flat on its back after draining its battery during a demo.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 9 Oct. 2026

Definition of drain

Verb

That gives the gin a pale yellow color, and adds barrel notes of oak and dried fruit to a palate shaped by botanicals including juniper, queen of the night (a nocturnal cactus flower), coriander seed, Damask rose, and Nigerian ginger.

— Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 15 Oct. 2026
About a month after the ink dried on that contract, Kim, who had slipped on ice and fallen while in his native Korea, had surgery to repair a tendon on his right middle finger.

— Chad Bishop, AJC.com, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of dry

Verb

His astute stand-up and withering, spot-on insights into race, relationships and celebrity have influenced countless comedians and writers.

— Kevin Dolak, HollywoodReporter, 10 Oct. 2026
His long, tousled hair, stubble, withering gaze, and ever-present cigarette gave him an air of punk-rock danger.

— Robb Report, Robb Report, 9 Oct. 2026

Definition of wither

Verb

Against a backdrop of wilting flowers that left a subtle funk in the air, designer Glenn Martens once again put forth ideas that challenged conventions of beautiful clothing.

— Leah Dolan, CNN Money, 30 Sep. 2026
In only the second week of this season, the mighty Ohio State Buckeyes wilted in brutal heat in the fourth quarter at Texas, blowing a 20-point lead and losing by a single point.

— Bradley Gitz, Arkansas Online, 28 Sep. 2026

Definition of wilt

Verb

The film is set in Lucknow as the age of the nawabs (Muslim nobles) fades.

— Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 14 Oct. 2026
But that boom eventually faded, overwhelmed by larger forces including the rise of the regulatory state and increasingly generous government bailouts.

— RUCHIR SHARMA, Foreign Affairs, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of fade

Browse Nearby Words

shrived

shrivel

shriveled

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“Shrivel.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shrivel. Accessed 16 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of shrivel

verb

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