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
Stacey Lastoe, Southern Living, 31 Jan. 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
Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 20 Jan. 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
Bake, tossing once or twice using tongs or a metal spatula, until the kale has shriveled and become crisp, 12 to 15 minutes.
—The New York Times News Service Syndicate, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Nov. 2025
Adjective
If the bag has a lot of mushy, moldy, or shriveled grapes, choose another one.
—Stacey Lastoe, Southern Living, 31 Jan. 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
Instead of dampness and mushy roots, the orchid’s pseudobulbs (stem sections that store water) may look shriveled, roots may be dry and silvery, blooms droop, and buds may drop.
—Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 20 Jan. 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
Bake, tossing once or twice using tongs or a metal spatula, until the kale has shriveled and become crisp, 12 to 15 minutes.
—The New York Times News Service Syndicate, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shriveled
Adjective
-
Among other moves this offseason, the Kings traded Jonas Valančiūnas for the withered remains of Dario Šarić and passed on a golden opportunity to lock in 3-and-D wing Keon Ellis at a value rate by declining his team option and re-signing him as a restricted free agent.—
John Hollinger,
New York Times,
10 Oct. 2025
-
Hidden behind a large flowerpot with a single withered flower, the windows are covered over by a grayish-yellow curtain, brittle with lager fumes.—
Zuzana Říhová,
Literary Hub,
26 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Once behind the panel, there should be a hose where the excess water can be drained from the outer drum.—
Ashlyn Needham,
Southern Living,
7 Feb. 2026
-
Soil and Water When choosing a place in your yard for skeleton flower plants, select loamy, well-drained, yet moist soil that is rich in organic matter—think forest floor, not a sunny vegetable garden.—
Andy Wilcox,
Better Homes & Gardens,
6 Feb. 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
-
To make your laundry routine smoother, follow these expert tips to keep your sheets untangled and properly dried.—
Anyssa Roberts,
The Spruce,
5 Feb. 2026
-
Warming up meals in a toaster oven likewise results in uneven heating, with the top portion getting dried or burnt and the middle part ending up lukewarm if the element is located on the top – the reverse is true if the element is on the bottom.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
4 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
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
-
Regina was standing by the window now, looking even more gaunt under the artificial light of the bulb behind her and the faint glow of the sunrise in front, which barely managed to filter through the balcony awning.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
22 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Haiti’s security has deteriorated so sharply that the tentative hope many Haitians felt at the start of the ruling panel’s transition has largely evaporated.—
Jacqueline Charles,
Miami Herald,
7 Feb. 2026
-
His lead in the race for the Republican nomination has all but evaporated.—
Rob Crilly,
The Washington Examiner,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The Rams’ Puka Nacua scorched the Seahawks for 165 yards and a TD last game against them.—
Bill Reinhard,
New York Daily News,
5 Feb. 2026
-
In the year since the property has been vacant, and fenced off, 27 fires have gutted or scorched empty units, located between Truman Road and 18th Street, Woodland and Brooklyn avenues.—
Eric Adler,
Kansas City Star,
4 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The Bulls eventually collapsed in a 136-120 loss to the Nuggets before a sellout crowd of 20,939, but the start of the latest rebuild that can’t be called a rebuild was off to an interesting first step nonetheless.—
Paul Sullivan,
Chicago Tribune,
9 Feb. 2026
-
Desperate social media posts from residents reached a fever pitch over the past week, with residents sharing photos of sheets of ice on exterior walls and a ceiling collapsed on cars in a garage.—
Staff Report,
Hartford Courant,
9 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Shriveled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shriveled. Accessed 13 Feb. 2026.
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