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
The animals have suffered from a disease that causes parts of them to shrivel and melt away.
—
Paul Rogers, Mercury News, 5 Aug. 2025
Colonialism had quite a lot to do with their decline, practically from the moment the Dutch set foot here in the early 18th century: the colonists shrivelled our forests, brought rats on their boats.
—Ariel Saramandi, The Dial, 29 July 2025
Avoid peppers that are shriveled, bruised, or have soft spots.
—Heather Riske, Better Homes & Gardens, 24 July 2025
Place whole lemons in the crisper drawer, where humidity can be set higher to keep them from drying out and shriveling up.
—Katie Rosenhouse, Southern Living, 15 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for shrivel
Paul Rogers, Mercury News, 5 Aug. 2025
Colonialism had quite a lot to do with their decline, practically from the moment the Dutch set foot here in the early 18th century: the colonists shrivelled our forests, brought rats on their boats.
—Ariel Saramandi, The Dial, 29 July 2025
Avoid peppers that are shriveled, bruised, or have soft spots.
—Heather Riske, Better Homes & Gardens, 24 July 2025
Place whole lemons in the crisper drawer, where humidity can be set higher to keep them from drying out and shriveling up.
—Katie Rosenhouse, Southern Living, 15 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for shrivel
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shrivel
Verb
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Synergies evaporated, growth never materialized, and years later the stock is still trading far below its debut highs.—
Jim Osman,
Forbes.com,
7 Sep. 2025
-
With an 18-16 loss, the facade of Florida football, coach Billy Napier, the Heisman campaign of DJ Lagway and any likely College Football Playoff aspirations evaporated.—
Noah White,
Miami Herald,
6 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Add to this poor emotional literacy, a lack of transparency, back-to-back meetings and the energy-draining complexity of navigating competing priorities.—
Sandro da Silva,
Forbes.com,
11 Sep. 2025
-
Reopening is dependent on how well the area drains.—
Gillian Stawiszynski,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
11 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Perifresh’s non-drying formula nourishes your skin with aloe vera, leaving your skin clean and healthy.—
Saman Shafiq,
USA Today,
10 Sep. 2025
-
Wipe down the rest of the fridge with a commercial or homemade bleach disinfectant, then dry completely with a paper towel.—
Audrey Bruno,
SELF,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Some leaves wither brown, some keep green.—
Jane Hirshfield,
New Yorker,
8 Sep. 2025
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If they are left to wither, leaders have to ask what steps are missing.—
Dr. Diane Hamilton,
Forbes.com,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The scorching-hot Gonzalez exited with knee soreness, the Red Sox announced.—
Gabrielle Starr,
Boston Herald,
10 Sep. 2025
-
This is a big deal as the new process requires no crushing pressure or scorching heat.—
Christopher McFadden,
Interesting Engineering,
7 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
By this time, the Soviet Union had collapsed, leading Manuylov to start a business in the candy trade.—
Maria Williams,
USA Today,
12 Sep. 2025
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Luckily, the airport had a failsafe in the form of a ground material designed to collapse under the plane's weight and stop it in its tracks.—
Colson Thayer,
PEOPLE,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Many, many times, teams will wilt in those circumstances.—
Steve Silverman,
Forbes.com,
9 Sep. 2025
-
Avoid warm or hot water, which can wilt the leaves.—
Katie Rosenhouse,
Southern Living,
7 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Midnight blue, a heavier shade, has been favored in recent years as the summer fades and fall approaches.—
Kaleigh Werner,
Footwear News,
6 Sep. 2025
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As the sun set over the East River, the music faded but the warmth lingered.—
Essence,
Essence,
6 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Shrivel.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shrivel. Accessed 13 Sep. 2025.
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