as in decreasing
to grow less in scope or intensity especially gradually
in the course of the evening the storm steadily waned
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in declining
Related Words
as in fading
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of waning
Lauren J. Young, Scientific American, 21 Aug. 2025
Kelsey Stewart, Footwear News, 19 Oct. 2025
The Phoenix Suns have been active in the waning days of their 2025 preseason and training camp.
—MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Oct. 2025
Then both schools began to struggle offensively, trading possessions until the waning seconds of the first half.
—Brendan Connelly, Boston Herald, 18 Oct. 2025
Unstructured outdoor play among children has been waning since the early nineteen-eighties, despite mountains of evidence about its benefits for kids’ physical health, executive-function skills, and socialization.
—Jessica Winter, New Yorker, 17 Oct. 2025
Its plumpness was waning, its folds disappearing.
—Literary Hub, 16 Oct. 2025
The familiarity is waning a bit, too.
—Brad Schlossman, Twin Cities, 16 Oct. 2025
As a teenager, Stevie Ringel began to notice his vision waning.
—Noah Lyons, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Oct. 2025
The Orionid meteor shower will unfold against a pristinely dark, moonless sky — unlike the Perseids, whose August peak was somewhat ruined by the light cast by a waning gibbous moon that hid dimmer members of the shower from view.
—Anthony Wood, Space.com, 13 Oct. 2025
Adjective
But Wells points out that in addition to the natural waning of the virus, other public health measures, such as vaccination and isolation, are instrumental in stopping its spread.
—Lauren J. Young, Scientific American, 21 Aug. 2025
Noun
And if Carpenter’s after-party look is any indication, the silhouette’s popularity won’t be waning this fall.
—Kelsey Stewart, Footwear News, 19 Oct. 2025
The Phoenix Suns have been active in the waning days of their 2025 preseason and training camp.
—MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Oct. 2025
Then both schools began to struggle offensively, trading possessions until the waning seconds of the first half.
—Brendan Connelly, Boston Herald, 18 Oct. 2025
Unstructured outdoor play among children has been waning since the early nineteen-eighties, despite mountains of evidence about its benefits for kids’ physical health, executive-function skills, and socialization.
—Jessica Winter, New Yorker, 17 Oct. 2025
Its plumpness was waning, its folds disappearing.
—Literary Hub, 16 Oct. 2025
The familiarity is waning a bit, too.
—Brad Schlossman, Twin Cities, 16 Oct. 2025
As a teenager, Stevie Ringel began to notice his vision waning.
—Noah Lyons, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Oct. 2025
The Orionid meteor shower will unfold against a pristinely dark, moonless sky — unlike the Perseids, whose August peak was somewhat ruined by the light cast by a waning gibbous moon that hid dimmer members of the shower from view.
—Anthony Wood, Space.com, 13 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for waning
Verb
-
High pressure will build in behind the storm, resulting in dry weather and decreasing winds.—
Dakin Andone,
CNN Money,
12 Oct. 2025
-
Moreover, parlay bets are getting more complicated as time goes on, decreasing the chances of winning.—
Sasha Rogelberg,
Fortune,
11 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
While pruning, remove any winter damage, along with dead and declining growths, to allow new shoots to reform the plant.—
Tom MacCubbin,
orlandosentinel.com,
6 Mar. 2021
-
In order to reopen, counties must demonstrate declining prevalence of COVID-19, testing ability of 30 tests per 10,000 residents per week, contact tracing and isolation facilities.—
Fox News,
Fox News,
15 May 2020
Noun
-
For a full display, the set includes 12 bundles of flowers with brown faux eucalyptus leaves, and each piece is made from artificial silk and plastic designed to resist fading and damage from the sun and other weather conditions.—
Alicia Geigel,
Southern Living,
18 Oct. 2025
-
For Harrison, the fading of fleeting infatuations signals not emotional shutdown, but liberation.—
Melissa Fleur Afshar,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Additionally, the invading trees and shrubs also compete with prairie plants for light, water, and space, often pushing the grassland plants out of the way and diminishing the habitat options available to animals that depend on native plants.—
Kelli Bender,
PEOPLE,
17 Oct. 2025
-
Survey participants said reasons for the diminishing access included affordability, fears about not being taken seriously or the potential for involuntary hospitalization, the survey said.—
Ken Alltucker,
USA Today,
16 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Signs of overwatering include drooping, wilting, or yellowing leaves.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
12 Oct. 2025
-
The sellers had painted the walls a yellowish hue hovering somewhere between a ripe banana and the grey of a wilting pear.—
Michael Ashley,
Forbes.com,
16 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Land is subsiding in the Ranegras Plain basin and groundwater is declining faster than the rate of replenishment, the Arizona Department of Water Resources informed residents gathered in Brenda at the Desert Gold RV Resort.—
Clara Migoya,
AZCentral.com,
17 Oct. 2025
-
Permafrost is also thawing, land is subsiding, and sea-level rise is adding to the risk.—
Rick Thoman,
The Conversation,
14 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
This just makes the upcoming six-game homestand critical for the Wild in not falling too far behind in the Western Conference.—
Joe Smith,
New York Times,
23 Oct. 2025
-
After the Federal Reserve cut interest rates for the first time since December 2024 last month, experts projected that rates would continue falling—even if ever so slightly.—
Giulia Carbonaro,
MSNBC Newsweek,
22 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
In ‘04, three seasons after the last of five national championships, Miami’s glory-days era was ebbing.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
15 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Waning.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/waning. Accessed 23 Oct. 2025.
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