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 Next, look for any dead tissue, which may appear brown, dry, or shriveled. — Sj McShane, Martha Stewart, 24 May 2026 For every two flashes of brilliance there’s another track that just sounds like an unfinished instrumental, or a new cut that shrivels at the feet of the old ones. — Eli Enis, Pitchfork, 21 May 2026 Even so, few of us guessed just how tenuous Starmer’s position would prove or how quickly his authority would shrivel. — Geoffrey Wheatcroft, The New York Review of Books, 20 May 2026 Outside, the front yard continued to shrivel and die. — Maggie Slepian, Longreads, 14 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for shrivel

Recent Examples of Synonyms for shrivel

Verb

Fear over airstrikes on Iran, which pervaded many conversations with locals during the war, has evaporated.

— Billy Stockwell, CNN Money, 5 July 2026
Most of the hope for the Warriors to make some kind of franchise-altering move evaporated in that moment.

— Nick Friedell, New York Times, 4 July 2026

Definition of evaporate

Verb

Conwell drained a three on his first shot but then missed six in a row, before hitting another three late in the third quarter.

— Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 4 July 2026
The promotion dropped on Monday, June 29 and almost immediately, the original $150,000 budget allocated to the promotion was drained —covering some 25,000 pulls.

— Pamela N. Danziger, Forbes.com, 4 July 2026

Definition of drain

Verb

Instead of letting the lemon tree’s leaves fall and wither, the culinary team makes oils to use in Scholtmeyer’s imaginative cooking.

— Kathryn Romeyn, Travel + Leisure, 7 July 2026
While terracotta pots and baskets lined with coconut coir have their uses, these types of containers dry out much faster and will need careful management to ensure plants don't wither away.

— Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 3 July 2026

Definition of wither

Verb

The camaraderie was evident on the ground here in La Guaira, the coastal city where quake damage was most severe, collapsing dozens of buildings.

— Mery Mogollón, Los Angeles Times, 5 July 2026
The dogs, specially trained to detect human scent, have spent days searching for people trapped beneath the rubble of nearly 200 buildings that collapsed following the two powerful back-to-back earthquakes.

— Alessandra Freitas, CNN Money, 5 July 2026

Definition of collapse

Verb

Alcaraz missed this year's French Open — and Wimbledon — with a wrist injury, and Sinner was eliminated in the second round in Paris after wilting in the heat.

— ABC News, ABC News, 12 July 2026
The temperature that day had reached 99 degrees and the city had wilted, but the downpour caused the mercury to plummet a good 10 degrees.

— Jessica Gelt, Los Angeles Times, 10 July 2026

Definition of wilt

Verb

Most of Future’s peers in the post-Lil Wayne digital-trap era of the early 2010s, from fellow Atlanta stars Young Thug and 2 Chainz to Southern boldfaced names like Kodak Black and Kevin Gates, have faded back into the regional-rap morass.

— Mosi Reeves, Rolling Stone, 14 July 2026
Each song explores a different kind of longing—lovers come together but fall apart, dreams fade away only to have resolutions renewed—against a different strain of soul.

— Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Pitchfork, 14 July 2026

Definition of fade

Browse Nearby Words

shrived

shrivel

shriveled

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Style

“Shrivel.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shrivel. Accessed 17 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of shrivel

verb

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