as in evaporates
to become small and wrinkly usually as a result of dehydration
Without irrigation, these plants would shrivel (up) and die.
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Recent Examples of shrivels
The human heart shrivels away in space, but researchers have found that mini-hearts grown from human stem cells sprout in space significantly faster than in labs on Earth.
—
Tereza Pultarova, Space.com, 3 May 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
Tereza Pultarova, Space.com, 3 May 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shrivels
Verb
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About 80% of the water that data centers withdraw evaporates, with the remaining water discharged to municipal wastewater facilities, per the institute.—
Greta Cross,
USA Today,
2 June 2026
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When your paycheck is determined by an opaque algorithm that pits you against your neighbor in a race to the bottom, the political agency required for a functioning democracy evaporates.—
Sarita Gupta,
Time,
2 June 2026
Verb
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Overthinking at work drains emotional energy because your brain never fully relaxes.—
Dr. Diane Hamilton,
Forbes.com,
6 June 2026
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The Mighty Mississippi ⛴️ Flowing about 2,350 miles from Minnesota to the Gulf in Louisiana, the Mississippi River borders 10 states and drains an area stretching from western New York to most of Wyoming.—
Phaedra Trethan,
USA Today,
1 June 2026
Verb
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The high-pressure mop is automatically refilled with water at the docking station, and cleans itself with hot water (131 degrees F), then dries itself with 145-degree hot air.—
Terri Williams,
Forbes.com,
31 May 2026
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Set on a sunny stoop and water when the soil dries.—
Steve Bender,
Southern Living,
30 May 2026
Verb
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There’s an even bigger problem, though—Charlie collapses on the floor in pain, alone in the office, as the season ends.—
Barry Levitt,
Time,
10 June 2026
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Now researchers have analyzed samples taken from within the structure itself—specifically, the crater’s peak ring, an inner ring that formed when the Chicxulub impact produced enough debris to form a mound in the center of its crater that later collapses.—
Meghan Bartels,
Scientific American,
9 June 2026
Verb
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The United Kingdom smashed a century-old temperature record for the second time in 24 hours on Tuesday as a spring heat wave scorches parts of Western Europe, triggering government warnings about risks to life.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
26 May 2026
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Tucson will also be at or near record temperatures through March 27 as the state’s unprecedented heat wave scorches on, the weather service said.—
Ray Stern,
AZCentral.com,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Jeans then usually go through finishing treatments to create different shades, fades and distressed textures.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
28 May 2026
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Its effectiveness fades quickly outdoors, so combining methods works best.—
Melissa Epifano,
The Spruce,
28 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Shrivels.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shrivels. Accessed 12 Jun. 2026.
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