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
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
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
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
In earlier work, Rosenblatt’s team watched as some cells dumped their water and shriveled up like raisins before being extruded; indeed, this shrinkage seemed to kick off the process.
—Elise Cutts, Quanta Magazine, 12 Jan. 2026
Drought shrivels the grapes; excessive heat deprives the juice of acidity; too much rain results in rampant mold.
—Nicola Twilley, New Yorker, 5 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for shrivel
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
In earlier work, Rosenblatt’s team watched as some cells dumped their water and shriveled up like raisins before being extruded; indeed, this shrinkage seemed to kick off the process.
—Elise Cutts, Quanta Magazine, 12 Jan. 2026
Drought shrivels the grapes; excessive heat deprives the juice of acidity; too much rain results in rampant mold.
—Nicola Twilley, New Yorker, 5 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for shrivel
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shrivel
Verb
-
Stir in wine; cook until evaporated.—
Faye Levy,
Oc Register,
11 Feb. 2026
-
For a sense of just how much money has evaporated from the crypto industry since then, look to bitcoin.—
Will Gottsegen,
The Atlantic,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
CEOs are struggling to switch off, Ko says, and making high-stakes decisions while their mental batteries are drained.—
Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson,
semafor.com,
20 Feb. 2026
-
This was an adaptation of the 1906 novel about the meatpacking industry by Upton Sinclair; famously, Lookingglass actors hung by their heels, depicting the draining carcasses of the Chicago Stockyards.—
Chris Jones,
Chicago Tribune,
19 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
By adjusting slurry mixing and drying protocols alone, the team reduced internal ionic resistance in their test electrodes by up to 40 percent.—
Ameya Paleja,
Interesting Engineering,
17 Feb. 2026
-
West says that fragrances with deeper notes like musk, tobacco, and cardamom, create a lasting impression as the fragrance dries down throughout the day.—
Allure,
Allure,
17 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
In 1856, violence came to Washington, too, when a South Carolina congressman brutally caned the Massachusetts Senator Charles Sumner on the floor of the Senate, two days after Sumner delivered a withering antislavery speech.—
Jake Lundberg,
The Atlantic,
12 Feb. 2026
-
California’s veterans deserve thoughtful, forward-looking policy that reflects their reality — not theories that wither in the face of the domestic battles that veterans should never have to fight.—
Irene Watkins,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Saturated in the heatwave colors of Australia’s scorching Red Center, with its searing blue skies and bright orange sands, Wolfram makes the grim, lawless backwater of Wake in Fright seem positively cosmopolitan by comparison.—
Damon Wise,
Deadline,
17 Feb. 2026
-
Unfazed as the first shooter of the event — and the first player introduced to the masses — Knueppel scorched the nets to the tune of 27 points.—
Roderick Boone,
Charlotte Observer,
15 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Abstract governance debates collapse when basic participation and revenue data are examined.—
Michael Fealey,
Sportico.com,
14 Feb. 2026
-
Or that there is a wild proliferation of parallel universes, or that a mysterious process causes quantumness to spontaneously collapse.—
Quanta Magazine,
Quanta Magazine,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Black-eyed Susan blooms at the end of hot, humid summers when other plants are wilting.—
Arricca Elin SanSone,
Southern Living,
14 Feb. 2026
-
The flowers depressed her, especially those already wilting.—
Allegra Goodman,
Literary Hub,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
When Dreher wrote The Benedict Option, during the Obama presidency, his primary concern was how to keep faith alive at a time when Christianity seemed to be fading away.—
Robert F. Worth,
The Atlantic,
13 Feb. 2026
-
Relationship endings are possible under this influence — don’t insist on forcing a connection that’s trying to fade.—
Tarot.com,
Chicago Tribune,
13 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Shrivel.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shrivel. Accessed 21 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
