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

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