variants
or shrivelled
as in withered
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variants
or shrivelled
as in drained
to become small and wrinkly usually as a result of dehydration
Without irrigation, these plants would shrivel (up) and die.
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Dissimilar Words
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Recent Examples of shriveled
Madeline Buiano, Martha Stewart, 16 Feb. 2026
To avoid finding shriveled potatoes in your pantry, start with fresh, firm potatoes.
—Lauren David, Southern Living, 15 Feb. 2026
New stems can become shriveled and fall off the plant, and whole segments might drop if the plant struggles with depleted soil and a too-small pot.
—Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 16 Dec. 2025
Lighter pieces that look shriveled signals that the ginger root has lost most of its moisture from sitting in storage or on the shelf too long.
—Jillian Kubala, Health, 11 Dec. 2025
Jillian Kubala, Health, 30 Apr. 2026
Water ornamental purslane when the soil has dried out or the leaves look shriveled.
—Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 29 Apr. 2026
Sales of photography, moving-image work, sculpture, and most conceptual work have shriveled up, except at the very highest levels.
—Alex Greenberger, ARTnews.com, 6 Apr. 2026
Desert wildflowers shriveled up early this year due to the historic heat wave, leading to a lackluster sightseeing season and fewer visitors at some state parks.
—Ray Stern, AZCentral.com, 27 Mar. 2026
And then emergency snacks for my kid, often shriveled up raisins all over the bottom of the bag.
—Jessica Radloff, Glamour, 23 Mar. 2026
After the blooms on your moth orchid (Phalaenopsis) have shriveled and fallen off the plant, you're left with a long, bare green stem (technically called a spike).
—Leanne Potts, Better Homes & Gardens, 15 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
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
Adjective
Properly watering succulents keeps them healthy and prevents problems like root rot and shriveled leaves.
—Madeline Buiano, Martha Stewart, 16 Feb. 2026
To avoid finding shriveled potatoes in your pantry, start with fresh, firm potatoes.
—Lauren David, Southern Living, 15 Feb. 2026
New stems can become shriveled and fall off the plant, and whole segments might drop if the plant struggles with depleted soil and a too-small pot.
—Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 16 Dec. 2025
Lighter pieces that look shriveled signals that the ginger root has lost most of its moisture from sitting in storage or on the shelf too long.
—Jillian Kubala, Health, 11 Dec. 2025
Verb
Berries that are shriveled, soft, or visibly mushy are likely past their prime and won’t be appetizing.
—Jillian Kubala, Health, 30 Apr. 2026
Water ornamental purslane when the soil has dried out or the leaves look shriveled.
—Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 29 Apr. 2026
Sales of photography, moving-image work, sculpture, and most conceptual work have shriveled up, except at the very highest levels.
—Alex Greenberger, ARTnews.com, 6 Apr. 2026
Desert wildflowers shriveled up early this year due to the historic heat wave, leading to a lackluster sightseeing season and fewer visitors at some state parks.
—Ray Stern, AZCentral.com, 27 Mar. 2026
And then emergency snacks for my kid, often shriveled up raisins all over the bottom of the bag.
—Jessica Radloff, Glamour, 23 Mar. 2026
After the blooms on your moth orchid (Phalaenopsis) have shriveled and fallen off the plant, you're left with a long, bare green stem (technically called a spike).
—Leanne Potts, Better Homes & Gardens, 15 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
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shriveled
Adjective
-
Either shear the whole plant by a third or selectively cut withered flowers and leggy stems.—
Teresa Woodard,
Midwest Living,
14 Apr. 2026
-
Heaps of last summer’s grassy sedge lay withered around us.—
Quanta Magazine,
Quanta Magazine,
6 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Success is dependent on being planted in sunny locations with moist, well-drained, and neutral to slightly alkaline pH soils.—
Emily Leahy,
Hartford Courant,
3 May 2026
-
Paying for that organization’s work, along with fees billed by lawyers on the case, sometimes drained people’s savings at a rapid pace, the Tribune found.—
Christy Gutowski,
Chicago Tribune,
3 May 2026
Adjective
-
While the beautiful people always display youth (even if it’s paid for), the always original Benito Antonio Martinez Ocasio was unrecognizable, doubling his actual age of 32 with wizened grey hair, beard and bushy eyebrows, prosthetic wrinkles and a cane.—
Merle Ginsberg,
HollywoodReporter,
5 May 2026
-
Yoda Don’t underestimate the wizened little green guy putzing around with a laser sword.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
3 May 2026
Verb
-
The striking blooms make excellent cut flowers, both fresh and dried, and attract butterflies and bees to the garden.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
3 May 2026
-
Fresh basil is essential—do not swap in dried.—
Victoria Spencer,
Martha Stewart,
3 May 2026
Adjective
-
When supermodels ruled the runway, low-rise pants hugged our hips, everyone smoked cigarettes, grunge was a music genre and an aesthetic, and looking scrawny and gaunt was considered attractive.—
Phaedra Trethan,
USA Today,
30 Apr. 2026
-
In late-stage chronic wasting disease, deer often appear emaciated and gaunt, Labonte said.—
Stephen Underwood,
Hartford Courant,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Dallas’ depth scoring evaporated.—
Corey Masisak,
Denver Post,
2 May 2026
-
And when the jobs evaporated, the businesses closed, one by one, heartbreak by heartbreak.—
Alex Zietlow,
Charlotte Observer,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The weekend blaze at a mattress factory on Cortlandt Street scorched an entire block and is still causing problems across the community.—
Elijah Westbrook,
CBS News,
6 May 2026
-
The fires scorched trails, campgrounds and beloved ecosystems in and around Rocky Mountain National Park and the Arapahoe and Roosevelt national forests.—
Kyle Manley,
The Conversation,
6 May 2026
Verb
-
His 69-year-old wife was transferred to South Africa at the same time but collapsed at a Johannesburg airport and died at a nearby hospital, the South African Department of Health said.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
4 May 2026
-
His wife later collapsed and died at Johannesburg’s international airport while attempting to return home.—
Antonio María Delgado,
Miami Herald,
4 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Shriveled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shriveled. Accessed 10 May. 2026.
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