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
Winter The goal in winter is to water cacti just enough to prevent them from shriveling and wrinkling.
—
Andy Wilcox, Better Homes & Gardens, 16 Feb. 2026
While watering too often can lead to mushy leaves and root rot, watering too little will cause the leaves to turn brown and shrivel up.
—Madeline Buiano, Martha Stewart, 16 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
See All Example Sentences for shrivel
Andy Wilcox, Better Homes & Gardens, 16 Feb. 2026
While watering too often can lead to mushy leaves and root rot, watering too little will cause the leaves to turn brown and shrivel up.
—Madeline Buiano, Martha Stewart, 16 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
See All Example Sentences for shrivel
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shrivel
Verb
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Netflix’s domineering presence, one that permeated every corner of a typically sacred day at the ballpark, had mercifully evaporated.—
Justice delos Santos,
Mercury News,
27 Mar. 2026
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That’s one indication that physical shortages, rather than bad vibes alone, are being priced in (the reverse effect happened during the pandemic, when spot prices plunged because of evaporating demand).—
Tim McDonnell,
semafor.com,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Knueppel nearly recorded his first career triple-double, posting 26 points along with 11 rebounds and eight assists, draining 6 of 10 shots beyond the arc.—
Roderick Boone,
Charlotte Observer,
27 Mar. 2026
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Schedule a brief meeting to set fair deadlines so people understand how to support your goals without draining your reserves.—
Tarot.com,
Hartford Courant,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The results could one day help mitigate the problem of toxic dust spewing from the drying lake bed onto Salt Lake City—the Great Salt Lake’s bed is laced with arsenic, a toxic substance that, when people are exposed to it as dust, may cause cancers, respiratory problems and heart disease.—
Jackie Flynn Mogensen,
Scientific American,
31 Mar. 2026
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Alcohol can be stinging and drying to the skin.—
BestReviews,
Chicago Tribune,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Then the strength of their team withered and left them still seeking their first victory under new manager Craig Stammen.—
Kevin Acee,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
28 Mar. 2026
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But as the airline increasingly relied on land planes, its ties to Dinner Key withered.—
Miami Herald Archives,
Miami Herald,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
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However, it must be shielded from scorching sun.—
Joshua Siskin,
Oc Register,
28 Mar. 2026
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The eruption did more than cool the skies and scorch an entire network of valleys.—
Quanta Magazine,
Quanta Magazine,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Regional sports networks that handled the technical know-how of producing and distributing games across a home team’s market have largely collapsed.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
28 Mar. 2026
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How the deal collapsed Thune had a deal with Democratic senators after negotiating for weeks on their demands for new restrictions on the department’s immigration enforcement work.—
Stephen Groves,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Mar. 2026
Verb
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And kudos to the Horns, who didn't wilt despite taking some huge body shots from a quality opponent.—
Cedric Golden,
Austin American Statesman,
18 Mar. 2026
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The Illini have lost four overtime games and seem to wilt in the clutch.—
Paul Sullivan,
Chicago Tribune,
16 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Scout seems insightful, based on its response to a question posed by The Associated Press about why one of Silicon Valley's brightest stars faded away a decade ago.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
27 Mar. 2026
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This year's Oscars may be in the rearview mirror, but for one Detroit designer, the spotlight hasn't faded.—
Lauren Winfrey,
CBS News,
27 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Shrivel.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shrivel. Accessed 2 Apr. 2026.
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