as in decreased
to grow less in scope or intensity especially gradually
in the course of the evening the storm steadily waned
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Recent Examples of waned
Slipcovered sofas have waxed and waned in popularity since the 18th century, and there's a good chance your grandma even had one (and, hopefully, the slipcovers were fabric instead of plastic).
—
Tessa Cooper, Southern Living, 9 Nov. 2025
The Fitzgerald’s legacy endures A half century after the Great Lakes' most famous shipwreck, the SS Edmund Fitzgerald’s grip on the public imagination has waned little.
—Doyle Rice, USA Today, 9 Nov. 2025
Charlotte’s energy waned as the half wore on.
—Colin Cerniglia, Charlotte Observer, 7 Nov. 2025
But recent graduates in the field are struggling to find work as demand for entry-level roles has waned.
—Lisa Eadicicco, CNN Money, 4 Nov. 2025
But well into Bush's second term, Cheney's clout waned, checked by courts or shifting political realities.
—Shane Croucher, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2025
But well into Bush’s second term, Cheney’s clout waned, checked by courts or shifting political realities.
—Calvin Woodward, Fortune, 4 Nov. 2025
But while prices of those pairs have waned, other brands like Asics, Hoka, New Balance, On and Salomon are on the upswing.
—Riley Jones, Footwear News, 4 Nov. 2025
Over the ensuing decades, the beanbag’s popularity has waned, becoming more of a dorm room and playroom staple.
—Erika Owen, Architectural Digest, 30 Oct. 2025
Tessa Cooper, Southern Living, 9 Nov. 2025
The Fitzgerald’s legacy endures A half century after the Great Lakes' most famous shipwreck, the SS Edmund Fitzgerald’s grip on the public imagination has waned little.
—Doyle Rice, USA Today, 9 Nov. 2025
Charlotte’s energy waned as the half wore on.
—Colin Cerniglia, Charlotte Observer, 7 Nov. 2025
But recent graduates in the field are struggling to find work as demand for entry-level roles has waned.
—Lisa Eadicicco, CNN Money, 4 Nov. 2025
But well into Bush's second term, Cheney's clout waned, checked by courts or shifting political realities.
—Shane Croucher, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2025
But well into Bush’s second term, Cheney’s clout waned, checked by courts or shifting political realities.
—Calvin Woodward, Fortune, 4 Nov. 2025
But while prices of those pairs have waned, other brands like Asics, Hoka, New Balance, On and Salomon are on the upswing.
—Riley Jones, Footwear News, 4 Nov. 2025
Over the ensuing decades, the beanbag’s popularity has waned, becoming more of a dorm room and playroom staple.
—Erika Owen, Architectural Digest, 30 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for waned
Verb
-
Content licensing revenues decreased 27% to $59 million primarily due to the timing and availability of deliveries in the period.—
Dade Hayes,
Deadline,
7 Nov. 2025
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The median sale price for detached homes remained flat at $650,000, while attached homes decreased by 3% to $388,220.—
Sara B. Hansen,
Denver Post,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
In the two weeks since the Justice Department failed to fully meet a legal deadline to release its expansive tranche of files on Jeffrey Epstein, old conspiracy theories about his life and death have subsided and new ones have taken shape.—
Stephen Fowler,
NPR,
2 Jan. 2026
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As entheogenic effects subsided, the digital-age healer pulled out her iPhone and showed me photos from her recent trip home.—
María Cristina Lalonde,
Travel + Leisure,
29 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
Davie’s successor will inherit an organization wrestling with its place in a media ecosystem dominated by overseas tech giants, as well as battling enemies closer to home, with conservative politicians and media proprietors wishing to see the BBC diminished during charter renewal.—
Max Goldbart,
Deadline,
9 Jan. 2026
-
The war diminished Iran’s deterrence capability and exposed the regime’s weakness.—
CNN Staff,
CNN Money,
9 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The at-bats were brief and uneventful, the opposite of the approach that carried Toronto to this stage and felled Snell in Game 1.—
Andy McCullough,
New York Times,
26 Oct. 2025
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That says a lot about the 2025 Red Sox, who were a top offensive team in many metrics, but were also felled by their bats in crucial spots throughout the year and postseason.—
Gabrielle Starr,
Boston Herald,
23 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Specialized districts, from meatpacking to printing, didn’t disappear because demand vanished.—
Parin Moradiya,
Chicago Tribune,
9 Jan. 2026
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Prices of basic goods like cooking oil and chicken dramatically spiked overnight, and some products vanished all together.—
Mostafa Salem,
CNN Money,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
China’s 10-year government bond yields edged up, as demand for safety assets ebbed following the positive results of trade talks.—
Bloomberg,
Fortune,
27 Oct. 2025
-
But positivity since then has ebbed, due to Nuno’s fixation on experimenting with his starting XI.—
Roshane Thomas,
New York Times,
25 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Waned.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/waned. Accessed 10 Jan. 2026.
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