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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of weaken
The partisan redistricting wars weaken our democracy, and once redistricting becomes untethered from the census, every election cycle becomes a potential redistricting cycle.
—
The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 9 June 2026
Declining immigration is also expected to weaken Social Security's finances because fewer workers will be paying into the program, the report said.
—Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 9 June 2026
Little change is strength is forecast for Cristina on Tuesday, forecasters said, followed by some weakening through midweek.
—Gabe Hauari, USA Today, 9 June 2026
Boris was forecast to weaken once the center reaches the coast and dissipate inland by Tuesday.
—Los Angeles Times, 8 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for weaken
The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 9 June 2026
Declining immigration is also expected to weaken Social Security's finances because fewer workers will be paying into the program, the report said.
—Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 9 June 2026
Little change is strength is forecast for Cristina on Tuesday, forecasters said, followed by some weakening through midweek.
—Gabe Hauari, USA Today, 9 June 2026
Boris was forecast to weaken once the center reaches the coast and dissipate inland by Tuesday.
—Los Angeles Times, 8 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for weaken
Recent Examples of Synonyms for weaken
Verb
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In addition to eliminating subsidies, the White House softened Biden- and Obama-era regulations designed to push traditional automakers into offering more EVs by toughening tailpipe emission standards.—
Trevor Hughes,
USA Today,
9 June 2026
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To soften the impact of the trash fee reduction, city officials plan to send $22 million from the recycling fund to the general fund in both fiscal 2028 and fiscal 2029.—
David Garrick,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
9 June 2026
Verb
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While desirable homes still sell quickly, frenzied bidding wars have faded.—
Sara B. Hansen,
Denver Post,
29 May 2026
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Deadheading Is Another Form Of Pinching Back Deadheading is similar to pinching back, but it is done once the flowers begin to fade.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
Southern Living,
28 May 2026
Verb
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There is an effort to dilute the high-pH water in ditches that was contaminated with the large amount of chemicals that spilled, officials said.—
Phil Helsel,
NBC news,
29 May 2026
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That case argued that Louisiana lawmakers illegally diluted Black voting power by failing to draw a second majority-Black district in a state where Black voters account for roughly one third of the population.—
Sam Gringlas,
NPR,
29 May 2026
Verb
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The fatal bear encounter at Glacier National Park occurred in the same week that two hikers were injured in a bear attack at Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, according to the park service.—
Thao Nguyen,
USA Today,
10 June 2026
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The boy who was injured was treated at a hospital and released the same day, authorities said.—
Caelyn Pender,
Mercury News,
10 June 2026
Verb
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Trump’s sagging approval rating comes as Democrats have a chance at outperforming Republicans in midterms, with Emerson’s May poll showing Democrats with a 9-point advantage on the generic congressional ballot, though 9% of voters were undecided.—
Sara Dorn,
Forbes.com,
28 May 2026
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Stock performance by Salesforce on Thursday, which sagged despite an impressive beat on profits and revenues, is emblematic of the troubles facing software.—
Tobias Burns,
CNBC,
28 May 2026
Verb
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While the fly is capable of infecting humans and pets, such cases are rare and pose little risk to the broader public, according to experts.—
David Hickey,
NBC news,
4 June 2026
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More people will get infected, and 30 to 50 percent of those who contract the virus will die.—
Anthony Banbury,
Washington Post,
4 June 2026
Verb
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Conditions that may qualify include certain cancers, severe heart disease, debilitating neurological disorders, advanced autoimmune diseases and significant mental or other health conditions that substantially limit a person's ability to work.—
Angelica Leicht,
CBS News,
10 June 2026
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The joblessness and despair of the Great Depression has created a debilitating culture at this small traveling business where everyone is living on top of each other and driving each other to more and more distressing extremes.—
Christopher Arnott,
Hartford Courant,
4 June 2026
Verb
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However, the anticipated state finals clash was not to be as Calabasas dropped the baton in the Southern Section finals and failed to advance.—
Steve Galluzzo,
Los Angeles Times,
30 May 2026
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It has been cited seven times by the AQMD since 2012 for such things as failing to report breakdowns and failing to maintain a system that measures and records temperatures.—
Jason Henry,
Oc Register,
30 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Weaken.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/weaken. Accessed 11 Jun. 2026.
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