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
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in draining
Related Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of weakening
Big Think, 19 Feb. 2026
David Reichel, executive director of the Sierra Avalanche Center, which issues forecasts for the Tahoe-Truckee area, says his group is monitoring the recent weakening of the snow surface.
—Tom Metcalfe, Scientific American, 18 Feb. 2026
The result is not merely confusion about who is responsible but a gradual weakening of the expectations that make responsibility meaningful at all.
—Deb Roy, The Atlantic, 15 Feb. 2026
Most officials are expecting slowing hiring coupled with a low level of layoffs that, rather than suggesting a material weakening, point more to stabilization.
—Jeff Cox, CNBC, 10 Feb. 2026
But a weakening of the job market, on the other hand, could push it to resume cuts more quickly.
—Stan Choe, Los Angeles Times, 10 Feb. 2026
As temperatures warmed today, the top layer of soil experienced a minor thaw and weakening.
—Ahmad Bajjey, CBS News, 10 Feb. 2026
That feeling of brotherhood, respect, and community is badly needed now, as the world is fractured by military conflicts, political polemic, and a weakening of the social fabric that knits diverse cultures and views together.
—Sean Gregory, Time, 6 Feb. 2026
France said an agreement between states with the biggest nuclear arsenals was crucial, at a time when there is an unprecedented weakening of nuclear norms.
—Reuters, NBC news, 6 Feb. 2026
Big Think, 20 Feb. 2026
Evidenced by no-confidence votes and faculty demonstrations, a sizable number of professors hold weakening trust in their institution's administrators.
—Cate Charron, IndyStar, 18 Feb. 2026
Some purchasers had issues with the hook-and-loop straps weakening quickly.
—Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 17 Feb. 2026
The low will slowly move through the western Great Lakes by Wednesday before gradually weakening into Thursday.
—Brandi D. Addison, USA Today, 17 Feb. 2026
Inflation followed and hit a high of 9%, weakening the dollar and repricing government debt to match expected future primary surpluses.
—Jason Ma, Fortune, 15 Feb. 2026
Unbalanced Or Leaning Tree A weakening root system or poor pruning practices can cause a tree to lean to one side.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 15 Feb. 2026
My opponent, Tim O’Hare, has led with ideology and performative politics, reducing transparency, weakening public participation, and creating financial instability through deficit-style budgeting and reserve spending.
—Rachel Royster, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Feb. 2026
But if Daniels is healthy and finds comfort in the new system, Washington has a chance to bounce back in an NFC East where the Philadelphia Eagles’ stranglehold appears to be weakening and where the New York Giants and Dallas Cowboys are trying to figure things out.
—Mike Jones, New York Times, 12 Feb. 2026
Noun
Artificial gravity wards against the dangers of microgravity, including bone loss, muscle wasting, heart weakening, and eye destabilization.
—Big Think, 19 Feb. 2026
David Reichel, executive director of the Sierra Avalanche Center, which issues forecasts for the Tahoe-Truckee area, says his group is monitoring the recent weakening of the snow surface.
—Tom Metcalfe, Scientific American, 18 Feb. 2026
The result is not merely confusion about who is responsible but a gradual weakening of the expectations that make responsibility meaningful at all.
—Deb Roy, The Atlantic, 15 Feb. 2026
Most officials are expecting slowing hiring coupled with a low level of layoffs that, rather than suggesting a material weakening, point more to stabilization.
—Jeff Cox, CNBC, 10 Feb. 2026
But a weakening of the job market, on the other hand, could push it to resume cuts more quickly.
—Stan Choe, Los Angeles Times, 10 Feb. 2026
As temperatures warmed today, the top layer of soil experienced a minor thaw and weakening.
—Ahmad Bajjey, CBS News, 10 Feb. 2026
That feeling of brotherhood, respect, and community is badly needed now, as the world is fractured by military conflicts, political polemic, and a weakening of the social fabric that knits diverse cultures and views together.
—Sean Gregory, Time, 6 Feb. 2026
France said an agreement between states with the biggest nuclear arsenals was crucial, at a time when there is an unprecedented weakening of nuclear norms.
—Reuters, NBC news, 6 Feb. 2026
Verb
There is, at present, some evidence for dark energy weakening over time, although the results from the DESI collaboration, which provide the strongest evidence to date for such a scenario, are highly ambiguous.
—Big Think, 20 Feb. 2026
Evidenced by no-confidence votes and faculty demonstrations, a sizable number of professors hold weakening trust in their institution's administrators.
—Cate Charron, IndyStar, 18 Feb. 2026
Some purchasers had issues with the hook-and-loop straps weakening quickly.
—Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 17 Feb. 2026
The low will slowly move through the western Great Lakes by Wednesday before gradually weakening into Thursday.
—Brandi D. Addison, USA Today, 17 Feb. 2026
Inflation followed and hit a high of 9%, weakening the dollar and repricing government debt to match expected future primary surpluses.
—Jason Ma, Fortune, 15 Feb. 2026
Unbalanced Or Leaning Tree A weakening root system or poor pruning practices can cause a tree to lean to one side.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 15 Feb. 2026
My opponent, Tim O’Hare, has led with ideology and performative politics, reducing transparency, weakening public participation, and creating financial instability through deficit-style budgeting and reserve spending.
—Rachel Royster, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Feb. 2026
But if Daniels is healthy and finds comfort in the new system, Washington has a chance to bounce back in an NFC East where the Philadelphia Eagles’ stranglehold appears to be weakening and where the New York Giants and Dallas Cowboys are trying to figure things out.
—Mike Jones, New York Times, 12 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for weakening
Noun
-
Work being done to reduce ponding, draining issues Jason Molinero, the deputy director of the Allegheny County Department of Public Works, said ponding and draining issues are frequent on Campbells Run Road, eventually eating away at pavement and causing premature deterioration.—
Chilekasi Adele,
CBS News,
25 Feb. 2026
-
The Best Freezer Storage Tips Practice good storage techniques to maximize the time foods can be kept in the freezer to prevent deterioration.—
Alexandra Emanuelli,
Southern Living,
24 Feb. 2026
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
-
The land data adds to other signs of softening, despite an uptick in sales as 2025 ended.—
Travis Webb,
Austin American Statesman,
24 Feb. 2026
-
Shorter panels or café-style treatments keep fabric away from sinks and stoves while still softening hard tile and metal, and mitigating sharp corners.—
Maria Williams,
Ascend Agency,
20 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
While the era of easy, equity-like returns is fading as the asset class matures and competition intensifies, private credit’s growth phase is not over just yet, said PitchBook analyst Kyle Walters.—
Lee Ying Shan,
CNBC,
24 Feb. 2026
-
The foothills in the distance become burnished in the golden hour’s fading light.—
Audrey T. Williams,
Mercury News,
23 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Translators are not auxiliary figures but co-witnesses, extending the reach of these voices without diluting their force.—
Alex Averbuch,
Literary Hub,
24 Feb. 2026
-
Capturing and feeding this CO₂ to microbes sidesteps the significant energy penalty of diluting it with air while also removing pollutants.—
Srishti Gupta,
Interesting Engineering,
16 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
When the cost of that effort became debilitating, vulnerability was prescribed as relief, without the transfer of any real power.—
Kelly Ehlers,
Rolling Stone,
10 Feb. 2026
-
However, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), even mild cases of measles can be severe and debilitating.—
Doris Alvarez Cea,
Florida Times-Union,
4 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The bugbears of this season — wasting promising chances (though Manchester United goalkeeper Phallon Tullis-Joyce deserves credit for many of those) and some vulnerability to counter-attacks — remained.—
Cerys Jones,
New York Times,
23 Feb. 2026
-
Rather than wasting precious park time heading back to your hotel to drop off your clothes, slip these compact Baggu totes into your park bag.—
Jacqueline Dole,
Travel + Leisure,
23 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Despite their hefty size and impeccable quality, Jenny Bird's lobe-lifting backs prevent my ears from sagging.—
Tamim Alnuweiri,
InStyle,
26 Feb. 2026
-
As fabric stretch levels increase, so does the tendency for fabrics to have high growth (bagging and sagging) or high shrinkage.—
Meghan Hall,
Sourcing Journal,
24 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Weakening.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/weakening. Accessed 28 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
