SHRIVELLED Synonyms: 100 Similar and Opposite Words

shriveled 1 of 2

adjective

variants or shrivelled

as in withered

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

shriveled

2 of 2

verb

variants or shrivelled

past tense of shrivel

as in drained

to become small and wrinkly usually as a result of dehydration Without irrigation, these plants would shrivel (up) and die.

Related Words

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 shriveled

Adjective

This shrivelled existence was meant to have ended with a change of direction which was officially ratified by the Premier League in December 2024. — George Caulkin, New York Times, 7 Sep. 2026 During the final few minutes of cooking, check the corn frequently—even an extra minute or two can make the difference between juicy, tender kernels and dry, shriveled ones. — Olivia McIntosh, Martha Stewart, 4 Aug. 2026 Papayas that are mostly green are not ripe, while those with many soft spots or darker, shriveled skin are overripe or spoiled. — Sherri Gordon, Health, 2 Aug. 2026 Pests Yellowing or shriveled leaves and stunted growth can also be signs of pests. — Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 29 June 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

Verb

The Tar Heels’ middle-of-the-pack ACC defense shriveled in the fourth quarter against struggling Syracuse. — ABC News, 28 Oct. 2026 As sprouting progresses, the sweet potato may become softer, shriveled, or less flavorful. — Lynn Andriani, Martha Stewart, 4 Sep. 2026 Today, the tree looks bare, and the few leaves still hanging are brown and shriveled. — Vanessa Murdock, CBS News, 25 Aug. 2026 Wild pheasants use it all, and after late November they’ll be concentrated in the heavy cover because crop fields are gleaned and frost will have shriveled a lot of vegetation. — Ron Spomer, Outdoor Life, 19 Aug. 2026 For decades, so much water has been taken that the river seldom meets the sea in Mexico, and its delta, once filled with lush wetlands and forests, has shriveled to stretches of dry riverbed. — Ian James, Los Angeles Times, 21 July 2026 Avoid berries that are soft or appear mushy or shriveled as these are indications that the fruit is past its prime. — Stacey Lastoe, Southern Living, 14 July 2026 The skin split, the ends were shriveled, and the texture was limp. — Dianna Douglas, NPR, 28 June 2026 Berries that are shriveled, soft, or visibly mushy are likely past their prime and won’t be appetizing. — Jillian Kubala, Health, 30 Apr. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for shriveled

Adjective

First introduced at its Taikoo Li Qiantan store in 2022, the plant nearly withered after being left unattended for several months during the COVID-19 lockdown.

— Denni Hu, Footwear News, 3 Nov. 2026
Once brimming with life, the Dodgers’ historic quest has curled up into a withered heap.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of withered

Verb

Osceola faces a $100 million budget shortfall and has drained most of its reserve funds.

— Steven Walker, The Orlando Sentinel, 3 Nov. 2026
But this resilience should not be mistaken for future security of supply, especially as this potential escalation comes at a time when global inventory levels have been drained by around 1 billion barrels.

— Amena Bakr, semafor.com, 2 Nov. 2026

Definition of drained

Adjective

Few signs of humanity interrupted the rocky shoreline — just a couple of cabins and the wooden railings of a path leading to a wizened cedar tree revered by the tribe.

— Michael Hawthorne, Chicago Tribune, 23 Aug. 2026
His wizened next-door neighbors (Mary Woodvine and Adrian Rawlins) are younger, mistaking him for their son Luke, a former crew member of the Rose of Nevada who died by suicide.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 19 June 2026

Definition of wizened

Verb

Glulam laminations are dried before bonding, so there is simply no wet core left to split the wall later.

— Rolanas Kutra, Forbes.com, 6 Nov. 2026
The potatoes are cut with a French fry cutter, soaked in water, then dried and pre-fried in peanut oil at 160C (320F).

— Hana Asbrink, Bon Appetit Magazine, 4 Nov. 2026

Definition of dried

Adjective

The group last played a public show on July 18 in Valdosta, Georgia, following an uneven few months where Love appeared gaunt and sang in a raspy, diminished voice.

— Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 6 Oct. 2026
Apple was widely criticized in the late 2000s for not volunteering more information about Jobs’ health, especially as concerns about his gaunt appearance battered the company’s shares.

— Allison Morrow, CNN Money, 2 Sep. 2026

Definition of gaunt

Verb

Any remaining limits on Nordic military cooperation evaporated once Finland and Sweden joined NATO following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, in 2022.

— Foreign Affairs, Foreign Affairs, 30 Oct. 2026
The urban middle classes are in despair because the bursting of a real estate bubble — deliberately engineered by Xi — has evaporated the value of their main asset.

— Andy Browne, semafor.com, 27 Oct. 2026

Definition of evaporated

Verb

Unprecedented high temperatures scorched the continent from late May until the end of August this year.

— Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 22 Oct. 2026
Toxic haze has covered parts of Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore for weeks as Jakarta struggles to contain fires that have scorched large tracts of Borneo and Sumatra, with the smoke drifting across the region.

— Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of scorched

Verb

The original bridge collapsed into the Patapsco River in March 2024 after a cargo ship lost power and struck it, killing six construction workers.

— CBS Baltimore, CBS News, 4 Nov. 2026
Officials said the cleanup and repairs could take weeks or more in Pagosa Springs, where walkways and bridges collapsed or were heavily damaged.

— Brittany Peterson, Los Angeles Times, 3 Nov. 2026

Definition of collapsed

Browse Nearby Words

shrivel

shriveled

shriveling

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Shriveled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shriveled. Accessed 10 Nov. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of shriveled

adjective

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

defer

Popular in Grammar & Usage

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

31 Useful Rhetorical Devices

More Commonly Misspelled Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Popular in Wordplay

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Longest Long Words List

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes