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
Example Sentences
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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
Katie Rosenhouse, Southern Living, 25 Feb. 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
Even if a single berry is moldy, leaky, or shriveled, this could mean the berries are not fresh or juicy at all, says Hall.
—Kirsten Nunez, Martha Stewart, 31 Dec. 2025
Her once fearsome Cantonese-speaking maternal grandfather is shrivelled and ailing.
—E. Tammy Kim, New Yorker, 17 Dec. 2025
North America has lost some 3 billion birds — nearly a third of its birdlife — since 1970, in part because places like the Colorado River Delta have shriveled under the strain of human development.
—Brandon Loomis, AZCentral.com, 15 Dec. 2025
Once one of the planet’s largest saltwater lakes, Urmia has shriveled over the past decades.
—Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 1 Dec. 2025
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
Pour the berries onto a plate or tray, and carefully remove any that are shriveled, moldy, or mushy, along with any stems or leaves.
—Katie Rosenhouse, Southern Living, 25 Feb. 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
Even if a single berry is moldy, leaky, or shriveled, this could mean the berries are not fresh or juicy at all, says Hall.
—Kirsten Nunez, Martha Stewart, 31 Dec. 2025
Her once fearsome Cantonese-speaking maternal grandfather is shrivelled and ailing.
—E. Tammy Kim, New Yorker, 17 Dec. 2025
North America has lost some 3 billion birds — nearly a third of its birdlife — since 1970, in part because places like the Colorado River Delta have shriveled under the strain of human development.
—Brandon Loomis, AZCentral.com, 15 Dec. 2025
Once one of the planet’s largest saltwater lakes, Urmia has shriveled over the past decades.
—Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 1 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shriveled
Adjective
-
Dead fruit rotted on withered evergreens, remnants of a record-cold February.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
23 Feb. 2026
-
Floridians can see it in the withered tones of roadside vegetation and hear it in the dry crunch of their once-green lawns.—
Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board,
The Orlando Sentinel,
22 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Jared McCain caught a no-look, behind-the-back pass from Isaiah Hartenstein and drained a 3-pointer to give Oklahoma City a 91-80 lead.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
15 Mar. 2026
-
Gordon answered with his fifth 3-pointer of the game to put Denver in front, but veteran guard Marcus Smart drained his season high-tying fifth 3-pointer to put the Lakers back ahead by two points with 30 seconds left.—
Benjamin Royer,
Oc Register,
15 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
In front of the butcher’s near where the painter lives, a vendor, wizened and bent, sets up shop.—
Amir Ahmadi Arian,
The Dial,
15 Jan. 2026
-
But more alarming than the ways in which this physical space could turn against us was the simple metaphor of a wizened little man pulling a boat down a river in the dark.—
Ann Patchett,
New Yorker,
29 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Glossing 5-Min Lamination Mask This mask became an instant winter-hair hero for me, helping to revive my dried-out, dull lengths with each use.—
Catharine Malzahn,
Glamour,
18 Mar. 2026
-
To stop the malting, the barley was heated and dried by burning mesquite wood, infusing it with a savory, almost barbecue-like smokiness as opposed to the campfire and iodine notes associated with peat.—
Jonah Flicker,
Robb Report,
18 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Lie’s Evans is gaunt and distant, a shy man hidden behind a veil of cigarette smoke, unable to process — or even express — his grief.—
Scott Roxborough,
HollywoodReporter,
5 Mar. 2026
-
Nitibhon, a Thai supermodel, plays her tycoon as comically drab, keeping her gaunt cheeks slack to emphasize her character’s hollowness.—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
4 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
With less than three minutes left, an early 14-point lead for the Jaguars had completely evaporated.—
Luca Evans,
Denver Post,
15 Mar. 2026
-
When the film was DOA, her awards campaign evaporated.—
Mikey O'Connell,
HollywoodReporter,
13 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Wildfires have prompted evacuations and scorched more than 500,000 acres (202,340 hectares).—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
16 Mar. 2026
-
His skin, meanwhile, is scorched and smoking in the sunlight.—
Randall Colburn,
Entertainment Weekly,
12 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
King collapsed on the field last May and eventually underwent heart surgery.—
Damian Calhoun,
Daily News,
16 Mar. 2026
-
On hearing her name, Madigan collapsed into the arms of her husband, actor Ed Harris.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
16 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Shriveled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shriveled. Accessed 22 Mar. 2026.
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