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
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
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Recent Examples of weakening
Doyle Rice, USA Today, 12 Mar. 2026
To be sure, Barclays acknowledged Nike’s turnaround still faces risks around tariffs, competition and a potential weakening in consumer spending tied to the Middle East conflict.
—Natasha Abellard, CNBC, 11 Mar. 2026
This led to a 34-day war, the loss of 1,000 civilian lives, the weakening of Lebanon’s economy and significant damages to its infrastructure.
—Mireille Rebeiz, The Conversation, 4 Mar. 2026
The state is seeing a weakening of its oil industry, and increasing challenges for its refineries to remain open due to environmental concerns, according to a Daily Breeze report on Monday, March 2.
—Pat Maio, Oc Register, 3 Mar. 2026
But independent decisions the groups have made so far to stay clear of the conflict are a sign of the overall weakening of Iran’s network.
—Adam Geller, Fortune, 2 Mar. 2026
But independent decisions the groups have made so far to stay clear of the conflict are a sign of the overall weakening of Iran's network.
—ABC News, 2 Mar. 2026
This weakening warms the usually cooler central and eastern sides of the ocean, altering rainfall over the equatorial Pacific and wind patterns around the world.
—CBS News, 2 Mar. 2026
At that point, governments and industry execs were not yet backtracking, weakening regulations, re-engining trucks, canceling battery deals or bringing back big, thirsty V8s.
—New Atlas, 23 Feb. 2026
Dennis Ross, The Atlantic, 13 Mar. 2026
Weak onshore flows will then return Saturday, which combined with a weakening high pressure system are expected to bring five to 10 degrees of cooling to the coasts and valleys but little change across interior sections, according to the weather service.
—Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 12 Mar. 2026
Russia’s pariah status in sports and art may be weakening.
—Tom Chivers, semafor.com, 12 Mar. 2026
As people scroll on social media more and read books less, their ability to focus is weakening, says attention-span researcher Gloria Mark.
—Renée Onque, CNBC, 12 Mar. 2026
Vise noted that carriers dependent on consumer spending face more risks as gas prices rises, namely that the numbers at the pump can add to consumers’ stress from inflation, a weakening job market and tighter cash reserves.
—Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 11 Mar. 2026
Bank of England officials will now have to weigh the risks of weakening demand in the UK economy, against surging oil and gas prices.
—Irina Anghel, Bloomberg, 9 Mar. 2026
Even more concerning is that educational standards are weakening at both the secondary and post-secondary level.
—Allison Schrager, Twin Cities, 8 Mar. 2026
Over the past four years, the number of New Zealanders aged 30-50 emigrating has more than doubled – from 18,000 to 43,000 – fueled by rising living costs and a weakening job market, demographers told CNN.
—Laura Sharman, CNN Money, 7 Mar. 2026
Noun
Another displacement or weakening of the polar vortex is underway, which can allow bursts of Arctic air to spill into the Midwest and Northeast at times, according to AccuWeather lead long-range meteorologist Paul Pastelok.
—Doyle Rice, USA Today, 12 Mar. 2026
To be sure, Barclays acknowledged Nike’s turnaround still faces risks around tariffs, competition and a potential weakening in consumer spending tied to the Middle East conflict.
—Natasha Abellard, CNBC, 11 Mar. 2026
This led to a 34-day war, the loss of 1,000 civilian lives, the weakening of Lebanon’s economy and significant damages to its infrastructure.
—Mireille Rebeiz, The Conversation, 4 Mar. 2026
The state is seeing a weakening of its oil industry, and increasing challenges for its refineries to remain open due to environmental concerns, according to a Daily Breeze report on Monday, March 2.
—Pat Maio, Oc Register, 3 Mar. 2026
But independent decisions the groups have made so far to stay clear of the conflict are a sign of the overall weakening of Iran’s network.
—Adam Geller, Fortune, 2 Mar. 2026
But independent decisions the groups have made so far to stay clear of the conflict are a sign of the overall weakening of Iran's network.
—ABC News, 2 Mar. 2026
This weakening warms the usually cooler central and eastern sides of the ocean, altering rainfall over the equatorial Pacific and wind patterns around the world.
—CBS News, 2 Mar. 2026
At that point, governments and industry execs were not yet backtracking, weakening regulations, re-engining trucks, canceling battery deals or bringing back big, thirsty V8s.
—New Atlas, 23 Feb. 2026
Verb
If the goal instead is regime weakening—enfeebling the Islamic Republic so the Iranian public could overwhelm it—there are two ways forward.
—Dennis Ross, The Atlantic, 13 Mar. 2026
Weak onshore flows will then return Saturday, which combined with a weakening high pressure system are expected to bring five to 10 degrees of cooling to the coasts and valleys but little change across interior sections, according to the weather service.
—Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 12 Mar. 2026
Russia’s pariah status in sports and art may be weakening.
—Tom Chivers, semafor.com, 12 Mar. 2026
As people scroll on social media more and read books less, their ability to focus is weakening, says attention-span researcher Gloria Mark.
—Renée Onque, CNBC, 12 Mar. 2026
Vise noted that carriers dependent on consumer spending face more risks as gas prices rises, namely that the numbers at the pump can add to consumers’ stress from inflation, a weakening job market and tighter cash reserves.
—Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 11 Mar. 2026
Bank of England officials will now have to weigh the risks of weakening demand in the UK economy, against surging oil and gas prices.
—Irina Anghel, Bloomberg, 9 Mar. 2026
Even more concerning is that educational standards are weakening at both the secondary and post-secondary level.
—Allison Schrager, Twin Cities, 8 Mar. 2026
Over the past four years, the number of New Zealanders aged 30-50 emigrating has more than doubled – from 18,000 to 43,000 – fueled by rising living costs and a weakening job market, demographers told CNN.
—Laura Sharman, CNN Money, 7 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for weakening
Noun
-
All the hallmarks of an economic collapse are there, including the gradual shutdown and deterioration of public services, shortages of basic goods, and major rises in the cost of living.—
Brady Knox,
The Washington Examiner,
14 Mar. 2026
-
Beyond next week’s meeting, policymakers will need to be cognizant of balancing new inflation risks from the war in Iran with any signs of deterioration in the labor market.—
Bloomberg News,
Boston Herald,
14 Mar. 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
-
And there was probably some softening that was happening there.—
Brian Hiatt,
Rolling Stone,
16 Mar. 2026
-
Fresh broccoli florets cook right in the pot with the pasta, softening just enough while keeping a bit of bite.—
Maggie Meyer Glisan,
Better Homes & Gardens,
15 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Part of Notre Dame’s identity was fading.—
Andrew Carter,
Chicago Tribune,
17 Mar. 2026
-
Limelight hydrangeas bloom from mid-summer to autumn with flower color fading to pinkish red.—
Barbara Gillette,
The Spruce,
16 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The challenge lies in tailoring your tone without diluting the mission or fragmenting the brand.—
Rolling Stone Culture Council,
Rolling Stone,
11 Mar. 2026
-
Try diluting it with water if the taste is too much for you.—
Jamie Johnson,
Verywell Health,
9 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Living with long COVID Long COVID is often very debilitating, Walkes said.—
Nicole Villalpando,
Austin American Statesman,
15 Mar. 2026
-
Worries are worsening that the war could block the production of oil in the Persian Gulf for a long time and cause a debilitating surge of inflation for the global economy.—
Stan Choe,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Avoid space-wasting moves, such as storing tall bottles on the same shelf as short cocktail tumblers.—
Amy Panos,
Better Homes & Gardens,
16 Mar. 2026
-
The tube is filled with 1 fluid ounce of cream and is capped with a small pump to get the perfect amount of serum—without losing or wasting any precious product.—
Gabriela Izquierdo,
Southern Living,
10 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Maiava’s lower profile may also be linked to Riley’s sagging reputation.—
Stewart Mandel,
New York Times,
11 Mar. 2026
-
This week the New York Times reported how the Metropolitan Opera — the world’s largest performing arts institution — is bleeding money, and dipping into its endowment to make up for sagging ticket sales.—
Andrew Silow-Carroll,
Sun Sentinel,
11 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Weakening.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/weakening. Accessed 20 Mar. 2026.
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