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
Carlsson and Terry did combine to assist on Granlund’s power-play tally on Thursday, but the effectiveness of Anaheim’s top line waned as the series went on.
—
Eric Stephens, New York Times, 15 May 2026
Deaths declined as the pandemic waned.
—Mike Stobbe, Fortune, 13 May 2026
However, that excitement soon waned as the city planner who had been assisting with the project left in September.
—Ashley MacKin Solomon, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 May 2026
Public trust has waned at City Hall over the years because of the mismanagement of budgets, promises kept and broken and accountability and transparency.
—Teresa Liu, Daily News, 4 May 2026
That obsession hasn’t waned much since.
—Elizabeth Robinson, NBC news, 23 Apr. 2026
Craig had good moments attacking the middle of the field in the intermediate passing game, but there were stilll times where his accuracy waned during 7-on-7 and other drills.
—Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 22 Apr. 2026
As Cook steps down, Apple is still a financial juggernaut, but its cultural significance has waned.
—Reed Albergotti, semafor.com, 20 Apr. 2026
Public interest also waned after the moon landings — as dangerous and audacious as they were — seemed to become routine.
—Peter Lucas, Boston Herald, 16 Apr. 2026
Eric Stephens, New York Times, 15 May 2026
Deaths declined as the pandemic waned.
—Mike Stobbe, Fortune, 13 May 2026
However, that excitement soon waned as the city planner who had been assisting with the project left in September.
—Ashley MacKin Solomon, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 May 2026
Public trust has waned at City Hall over the years because of the mismanagement of budgets, promises kept and broken and accountability and transparency.
—Teresa Liu, Daily News, 4 May 2026
That obsession hasn’t waned much since.
—Elizabeth Robinson, NBC news, 23 Apr. 2026
Craig had good moments attacking the middle of the field in the intermediate passing game, but there were stilll times where his accuracy waned during 7-on-7 and other drills.
—Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 22 Apr. 2026
As Cook steps down, Apple is still a financial juggernaut, but its cultural significance has waned.
—Reed Albergotti, semafor.com, 20 Apr. 2026
Public interest also waned after the moon landings — as dangerous and audacious as they were — seemed to become routine.
—Peter Lucas, Boston Herald, 16 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for waned
Verb
-
Meanwhile, fatalities have decreased for children.—
Jeanine Santucci,
USA Today,
24 May 2026
-
Still, with audience fragmentation, shorter attention cycles and decreased attendance, placements need to be more iconic.—
Brett Berk,
HollywoodReporter,
24 May 2026
Verb
-
And the follow-home robberies and street takeovers that captured the public’s attention in recent years have largely subsided.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
24 May 2026
-
Once his symptoms subsided, he was transferred to another room, and at least 50 people lined the hallways and cheered him on during the move.—
Rebecca Cohen,
NBC news,
17 May 2026
Verb
-
Another theory suggests regulatory changes in China a few years ago appear to have diminished the availability of precursor chemicals used to make fentanyl.—
Mike Stobbe,
Fortune,
13 May 2026
-
The roles of China and Russia, as Iran’s allies, are strengthened; the role of the United States, substantially diminished.—
Robert Kagan,
The Atlantic,
10 May 2026
Verb
-
Firefighting crews worked Monday to cool residual heat and prevent hot spots from causing reignition, using chainsaws to fell and cut up hazardous trees, inspecting each section for heat and using hoses to extinguish any remaining embers.—
Forum News Service,
Twin Cities,
20 May 2026
-
The timbers came from trees felled by Cyclone Pam, the Category 5 storm that flattened much of Vanuatu in 2015.—
Christopher Elliott,
Forbes.com,
17 May 2026
Verb
-
Four swing districts vanished after Florida’s latest round of redistricting in April.—
Ashley Wu,
New York Times,
18 May 2026
-
Rescuers located the bodies of four Italian divers deep inside an underwater cave in the Maldives, days after the group vanished during a dangerous dive far beyond recreational limits, Italy’s Foreign Ministry said Monday.—
Stephen Sorace,
FOXNews.com,
18 May 2026
Verb
-
While interest in stakeholder capitalism ebbed amid an ESG backlash and other issues, moral leadership has become increasingly important in an atmosphere of growing distrust, dishonesty, and divisiveness.—
Diane Brady,
Fortune,
19 May 2026
-
By the end of the year, the epidemic in Chihuahua state finally ebbed.—
Mary Beth Sheridan,
CNN Money,
17 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Waned.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/waned. Accessed 26 May. 2026.
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