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.

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

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

Chang was still hesitant to believe that Raman was actually going to win, having watched Hong’s polling advantage in Wisconsin evaporate.

— Benjamin Wallace-Wells, New Yorker, 18 Oct. 2026
Their defense had surrendered 83 points in consecutive blowout losses to Missouri and South Carolina, and the optimism surrounding new coach Jon Sumrall had evaporated faster than a puddle on a Gainesville sidewalk in August.

— Mike Bianchi, The Orlando Sentinel, 17 Oct. 2026

Definition of evaporate

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

The Norte fire — the most devastating blaze — scorched more than 570 acres in residential neighborhoods in San Clemente and San Juan Capistrano, damaging or destroying at least six homes.

— Tony Briscoe, Los Angeles Times, 17 Oct. 2026
That was the update last week at a meeting of the Venus Exploration Analysis Group (VEXAG), a confab of scientists whose research interests focus on the scorching world just sunward from Earth.

— Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of scorch

Verb

Flames engulfed the 19th-century City Hall in the city of Limoges, in central France, causing its roof to collapse and nearly destroying the building.

— SYLVIE CORBET, Arkansas Online, 19 Oct. 2026
The students who stepped forward when their teacher collapsed playing basketball in Michigan illustrate what becomes possible when CPR skills are taught before they are needed.

— Meng Yang, Time, 18 Oct. 2026

Definition of collapse

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

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Shrivel.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shrivel. Accessed 19 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of shrivel

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

fervid

Popular in Grammar & Usage

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Popular in Wordplay

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?

Popular

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

Games & Quizzes