1
as in to soften
to diminish the physical strength of
weeks of hardship in the desert had greatly weakened them
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to fade
to lose bodily strength or vigor
the bodybuilder weakened once she eased off on her workouts
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to dilute
to alter (something) for the worse with the addition of foreign or lower-grade substances
weakened the juice with too much water
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of weaken
Their oversight role has been considerably weakened, but SB 1264 would do away with them altogether.
—
Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, The Orlando Sentinel, 24 Apr. 2025
But his support on those twin policy pillars are showing signs of weakening in a series of new polls pegged to his first 100 days back in power.
—Philip Elliott, Time, 24 Apr. 2025
China could also dump U.S. Treasuries for a few days, panicking the bond market and weakening the dollar.
—Nicholas D. Kristof, Mercury News, 24 Apr. 2025
The regime in Beijing therefore has considerable control over key nodes in the fentanyl chain: raw materials, production, sales and money laundering.
U.S. leaders, Democrats and Republicans alike, have accused China of using fentanyl to weaken the United States.
—Sebastian Rotella, ProPublica, 23 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for weaken
Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, The Orlando Sentinel, 24 Apr. 2025
But his support on those twin policy pillars are showing signs of weakening in a series of new polls pegged to his first 100 days back in power.
—Philip Elliott, Time, 24 Apr. 2025
China could also dump U.S. Treasuries for a few days, panicking the bond market and weakening the dollar.
—Nicholas D. Kristof, Mercury News, 24 Apr. 2025
The regime in Beijing therefore has considerable control over key nodes in the fentanyl chain: raw materials, production, sales and money laundering.
U.S. leaders, Democrats and Republicans alike, have accused China of using fentanyl to weaken the United States.
—Sebastian Rotella, ProPublica, 23 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for weaken
Recent Examples of Synonyms for weaken
Verb
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In a December call, the Pope lobbied Biden to soften death-row sentences for convicts.—
Philip Elliott,
Time,
21 Apr. 2025
-
Grapes are chilled after picking for 24 hours to soften grape skins before whole cluster fermentation.—
Tom Mullen,
Forbes.com,
21 Apr. 2025
Verb
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First, there was a drip-drip-drip of crisis: as costs everywhere rose, city, state, and federal monies faded away once COVID-era bailout efforts came to an end.—
Helen Shaw,
New Yorker,
24 Apr. 2025
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He’s got a big smile and that Generation Z vibe, maybe a freshly cut fade every three to four weeks.—
Cory Mull,
Forbes.com,
23 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
The plain and active meaning of the word cannot be diluted by its constriction, as the government would have it, to a narrow term of art.—
TIME Staff,
Time,
18 Apr. 2025
-
This approach dilutes your unique value proposition and distracts from your primary purpose.—
Expert Panel®,
Forbes.com,
16 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
After years of lawsuits and courtroom drama, director Joel Souza (who was also injured in the incident) finished the movie (now in theaters and on demand).—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
3 May 2025
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The children who were injured in the attack are in the hospital in a stable condition, according to the police report.—
Latoya Gayle,
People.com,
2 May 2025
Verb
-
Consumer confidence is sagging as shoppers are fatigued by inflation and the impact of tariffs.—
Arthur Zaczkiewicz,
Footwear News,
1 May 2025
-
The continued flouting of production quotas could keep oil prices sagging, even after US President Donald Trump signalled a potential U-turn on his trade war with China.—
Amy Gunia,
CNN Money,
28 Apr. 2025
Verb
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People usually get infected with the bacteria by eating raw shellfish, especially oysters, or through an open wound that has direct contact with saltwater.—
Michelle Marchante,
Miami Herald,
29 Apr. 2025
-
Many people are actually infected with H. pylori and don’t experience any symptoms, but around 15% will go on to develop an ulcer in either their stomach (known as a gastric ulcer) or a portion of the small intestine called the duodenum (known as a duodenal ulcer).—
Caroline Tien,
SELF,
28 Apr. 2025
Verb
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With the many debilitating symptoms of long COVID, diet often takes a backseat to medication or supplements.—
Mark Weinstein,
MSNBC Newsweek,
27 Apr. 2025
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Santana, who is known musically just by his last name along with fellow bandmembers, did not appear before crowds at the Majestic Theatre in San Antonio, Texas, after suffering a debilitating bout of dehydration.—
Anna Kaufman,
USA Today,
24 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Dix’s conclusion is easily seen in the lives of famous entrepreneurs who failed at various times in their lives.—
Daniel Fusch,
USA Today,
25 Apr. 2025
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Traffic moving north from La Grange, with its 25 mph speed limit, tended to speed up while traffic coming south from Westchester often failed to slow from the 40 mph limit there, officials said.—
Hank Beckman,
Chicago Tribune,
24 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Weaken.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/weaken. Accessed 5 May. 2025.
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