as in deterioration
a gradual sinking and wasting away of mind or body
the all-too-apparent weakening of our grandfather was hard on our mother
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in draining
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Dissimilar Words
1
as in softening
to diminish the physical strength of
weeks of hardship in the desert had greatly weakened them
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in fading
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 diluting
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
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Recent Examples of weakening
Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 29 Oct. 2025
Africa’s democracy index score has regressed recently, shrinking each of the past six years, pointing at voter dissatisfaction and weakening institutions.
—Jeronimo Gonzalez, semafor.com, 28 Oct. 2025
Columbus’s historic journey to the Caribbean occurred amid significant changes in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, including the exploration of the Canary Islands and Cape Verde, the weakening of Islam, and the rise of Christianity in the form of Catholicism.
—Literary Hub, 23 Oct. 2025
That was obviously the weakening of your internal khozayka.
—Julia Ioffe, New Yorker, 19 Oct. 2025
Despite its weakening power, heavy rain associated with the storm has already stretched as far north as the Desert Southwest.
—Anna Skinner, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Oct. 2025
Forecasters said that while additional weakening is expected during the next 48 hours, a tropical storm watch is in effect for Baja California Sur from Cabo San Lucas to Cabo San Lazaro.
—Gabe Hauari, USA Today, 8 Oct. 2025
For another, there’s the DESI data, our best large-scale structure data at present, which seems to slightly favor the presence of evolving (and, in particular, decaying or weakening) dark energy.
—Ethan Siegel, Big Think, 3 Oct. 2025
The meeting comes as the central bank is in a bit of a bind, given the recent uptick in inflation that has coincided with a weakening of the job market.
—Zev Fima,jeff Marks, CNBC, 17 Sep. 2025
Robert Lea, Space.com, 6 Nov. 2025
The central bank cut its benchmark rate for the second time this year at its most recent meeting, in part to help bolster the economy amid a weakening job market.
—Fortune, 5 Nov. 2025
As Hoffine noted, hunger often kills not just through starvation, but by weakening immune systems to the point where people can't fight off disease.
—Nurith Aizenman, NPR, 5 Nov. 2025
Still-high interest rates, tariffs, and a weakening economy are also a concern, and then there are more basic issues, such as zoning.
—Diana Olick, CNBC, 5 Nov. 2025
Up until now, Chicago Federal Reserve President Austan Goolsbee has been more worried about a weakening jobs market than inflation.
—Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 4 Nov. 2025
Ocean acidification is weakening the teeth of sharks.
—Rafil Kroll-Zaidi, Harpers Magazine, 29 Oct. 2025
The free-trade agenda sought to deregulate the labor market and prioritize market efficiency, strengthening the hands of employers and severely weakening union and social movements, as anti-free traders had predicted.
—Dónal Gill, The Dial, 28 Oct. 2025
The eye of the hurricane traversed the entire island, with its winds weakening only to 125 mph by the time is exited Jamaica's western coast several hours later.
—Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 28 Oct. 2025
Noun
The hurricane entered western Cuba as a Category 3, but the island’s mountains ripped up the eye, weakening but also broadening the storm.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 29 Oct. 2025
Africa’s democracy index score has regressed recently, shrinking each of the past six years, pointing at voter dissatisfaction and weakening institutions.
—Jeronimo Gonzalez, semafor.com, 28 Oct. 2025
Columbus’s historic journey to the Caribbean occurred amid significant changes in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, including the exploration of the Canary Islands and Cape Verde, the weakening of Islam, and the rise of Christianity in the form of Catholicism.
—Literary Hub, 23 Oct. 2025
That was obviously the weakening of your internal khozayka.
—Julia Ioffe, New Yorker, 19 Oct. 2025
Despite its weakening power, heavy rain associated with the storm has already stretched as far north as the Desert Southwest.
—Anna Skinner, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Oct. 2025
Forecasters said that while additional weakening is expected during the next 48 hours, a tropical storm watch is in effect for Baja California Sur from Cabo San Lucas to Cabo San Lazaro.
—Gabe Hauari, USA Today, 8 Oct. 2025
For another, there’s the DESI data, our best large-scale structure data at present, which seems to slightly favor the presence of evolving (and, in particular, decaying or weakening) dark energy.
—Ethan Siegel, Big Think, 3 Oct. 2025
The meeting comes as the central bank is in a bit of a bind, given the recent uptick in inflation that has coincided with a weakening of the job market.
—Zev Fima,jeff Marks, CNBC, 17 Sep. 2025
Verb
That goes even further than DESI's hints at weakening dark energy.
—Robert Lea, Space.com, 6 Nov. 2025
The central bank cut its benchmark rate for the second time this year at its most recent meeting, in part to help bolster the economy amid a weakening job market.
—Fortune, 5 Nov. 2025
As Hoffine noted, hunger often kills not just through starvation, but by weakening immune systems to the point where people can't fight off disease.
—Nurith Aizenman, NPR, 5 Nov. 2025
Still-high interest rates, tariffs, and a weakening economy are also a concern, and then there are more basic issues, such as zoning.
—Diana Olick, CNBC, 5 Nov. 2025
Up until now, Chicago Federal Reserve President Austan Goolsbee has been more worried about a weakening jobs market than inflation.
—Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 4 Nov. 2025
Ocean acidification is weakening the teeth of sharks.
—Rafil Kroll-Zaidi, Harpers Magazine, 29 Oct. 2025
The free-trade agenda sought to deregulate the labor market and prioritize market efficiency, strengthening the hands of employers and severely weakening union and social movements, as anti-free traders had predicted.
—Dónal Gill, The Dial, 28 Oct. 2025
The eye of the hurricane traversed the entire island, with its winds weakening only to 125 mph by the time is exited Jamaica's western coast several hours later.
—Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 28 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for weakening
Noun
-
Some of it is also related to the age and deterioration of much of the grid, which now requires rebuilding.—
Tom Rogers,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 Nov. 2025
-
The deterioration in the labor market has been concentrated in payroll employment, which is the [datapoint] that is the most susceptible to demographic and immigration changes.—
Liz Hoffman,
semafor.com,
4 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
Long periods of socializing, like a weeklong conference, can feel far more draining than shorter events.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
28 Oct. 2025
-
By aligning strategic work with those rhythms, productivity can feel more natural and less draining.—
Matthew Kayser,
USA Today,
28 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Constipation can occur with iron supplements by affecting gut bacteria and pulling stool-softening water from your colon.—
Emmanuella Ogbonna,
Health,
31 Oct. 2025
-
It’s attracted a ton of speculation that maybe, just maybe, Netflix is finally softening its stance on putting movies into theaters.—
Brian Welk,
IndieWire,
30 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Even the combative Venezuela of eight years ago, where kids with homemade shields assembled in the streets day after day to battle the dictatorship’s goons, is a fading memory.—
Quico Toro,
The Atlantic,
4 Nov. 2025
-
Cheney is remembered as a chief architect of the war in Iraq after the 9/11 terrorist attacks and a member of an old Republican Party guard that is quickly fading away.—
Nicole Fallert,
USA Today,
4 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Relying on that representation, Trinity Broadcasting increased McGraw’s stake in Merit Street, via his production banner Peteski, to 70 percent while diluting its own stake to 30 percent.—
Winston Cho,
HollywoodReporter,
28 Oct. 2025
-
Thune took the step last month of allowing Trump officials to be approved in batches, essentially diluting the power of senators in the minority party to register their complaints.—
David Sivak,
The Washington Examiner,
24 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Austen and Tate lived together in a small apartment until Austen’s arthritis proved too debilitating.—
Margaret Hetherman,
NBC news,
19 Oct. 2025
-
Over the next three years, Lia would develop a perplexing, debilitating, and persistent set of symptoms.—
Eli Cahan,
Rolling Stone,
16 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The California Republican Party, which was supposed to serve as the No side’s get-out-the-vote force, has been accused of wasting millions of dollars on a mail program.—
Barnini Chakraborty,
The Washington Examiner,
4 Nov. 2025
-
The biggest mistake that girls make when going into the interview portion of the pageant, Alverson says, is wasting their interview time on unnecessary, pandering statements.—
Tabitha Parent,
PEOPLE,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The structures were sagging under the weight of so many books.—
Mary Ann Grossmann,
Twin Cities,
20 Oct. 2025
-
The dilapidated wooden trim and sagging porticos were spruced up a few years ago after preservationists complained to the Landmarks Preservation Commission, but the upstairs windows reveal glimpses of peeling paint, crumbling plaster, and collapsing ceilings inside.—
Kim Velsey,
Curbed,
20 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Weakening.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/weakening. Accessed 8 Nov. 2025.
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