Synonyms of shrivel

shrivel

verb

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

• evaporate
• drain
• dry
• wither
• scorch
• collapse
• wilt
• fade
• shrink
• dry up
• mummify
• wizen
• bake
• diminish
• dehydrate
• dwindle
• decrease
• compress
• flatten
• constrict
• dehumidify
• wane
• withdraw
• desiccate
• recede
• lessen
• parch
• air-dry
• sear
• deflate
• abate
• retreat
• decline
• condense
• contract

Dissimilar Words

• revive
• grow
• thrive
• flourish
• increase
• bloom
• prosper
• accumulate
• freshen
• expand
• inflate
• swell
• puff (up)
• balloon
• snowball

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of shrivel

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

The skin split, the ends were shriveled, and the texture was limp. — Dianna Douglas, NPR, 28 June 2026

As the disease progresses, the lesions grow together on a single leaf, and the entire leaf turns brown, shrivels, and dies. — Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 5 June 2026