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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of weakening
Nora O'Neill,
Charlotte Observer,
19 June 2026
Friday, a weakening ridge and an approaching front will allow scattered showers and thunderstorms to develop.
—
Lauren Bostwick,
CBS News,
9 June 2026
But the United States' retreat from the worldwide public health stage amid the outbreak in Africa and a worldwide measles outbreak has some experts concerned any weakening of public health makes the America susceptible to infectious diseases.
—
Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy,
USA Today,
6 June 2026
India’s economy has been under strain since the start of the Iran war, as energy supply disruptions have led to the weakening of the rupee against the dollar, and there are mounting concerns about slowing growth and rising inflation.
—
Priyanka Salve,
CNBC,
4 June 2026
However, beginning in 1989, the weakening and eventual fall of the Soviet Union marked a return to energy insecurity, and electricity produced in Cuba fell by 25% by 1994.
—
Luisa Blanco,
Sun Sentinel,
2 June 2026
Protects against rot and water infiltration, reducing the risk of weakening, structural failure, and decay.
—
Timothy Dale,
The Spruce,
29 May 2026
Wall Street’s primary concern is competition from Anthropic and OpenAI weakening demand and pricing power for its customer relationship management software, which for years drove robust growth at high margins.
—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
27 May 2026
However, beginning in 1989, the weakening and eventual fall of the Soviet Union marked a return to energy insecurity, and electricity produced in Cuba fell by 25% by 1994.
—
Isabella Elias,
The Conversation,
22 May 2026
Bloomberg,
Fortune,
21 June 2026
An unpopular war, a structurally sound economy, but maybe GDP weakening, unemployment strong, but consumer confidence weakening.
—
NBC news,
21 June 2026
On the other hand, the sun loses mass through stellar winds, weakening its gravitational grip and allowing planetary orbits to drift outward.
—
Rupendra Brahambhatt,
Interesting Engineering,
20 June 2026
Critics, however, accused lawmakers of dehumanizing migrants and weakening core protections.
—
Efrat Lachter,
FOXNews.com,
20 June 2026
That may improve short-term efficiency while quietly weakening long-term leadership capacity.
—
Jennie Glazer,
Forbes.com,
18 June 2026
Arthur is then expected to turn inland over Louisiana before weakening.
—
Michael Autovino,
CBS News,
17 June 2026
Yet the extremist group has mobilized its members and media outlets to ramp up criticism of the agreement, heaping pressure on Iranian negotiators who have been attempting to extract concessions from a US administration intent on weakening – and possibly ending – the Islamic Republic.
—
Tim Lister,
CNN Money,
14 June 2026
By then, the storms should be weakening and are not expected to be severe.
—
Kansas City Star,
12 June 2026
Noun
One of the most significant changes during Hill’s tenure was the weakening of structures designed to elevate teacher concerns to district leadership, Oreskovic said.
—
Nora O'Neill,
Charlotte Observer,
19 June 2026
Friday, a weakening ridge and an approaching front will allow scattered showers and thunderstorms to develop.
—
Lauren Bostwick,
CBS News,
9 June 2026
But the United States' retreat from the worldwide public health stage amid the outbreak in Africa and a worldwide measles outbreak has some experts concerned any weakening of public health makes the America susceptible to infectious diseases.
—
Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy,
USA Today,
6 June 2026
India’s economy has been under strain since the start of the Iran war, as energy supply disruptions have led to the weakening of the rupee against the dollar, and there are mounting concerns about slowing growth and rising inflation.
—
Priyanka Salve,
CNBC,
4 June 2026
However, beginning in 1989, the weakening and eventual fall of the Soviet Union marked a return to energy insecurity, and electricity produced in Cuba fell by 25% by 1994.
—
Luisa Blanco,
Sun Sentinel,
2 June 2026
Protects against rot and water infiltration, reducing the risk of weakening, structural failure, and decay.
—
Timothy Dale,
The Spruce,
29 May 2026
Wall Street’s primary concern is competition from Anthropic and OpenAI weakening demand and pricing power for its customer relationship management software, which for years drove robust growth at high margins.
—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
27 May 2026
However, beginning in 1989, the weakening and eventual fall of the Soviet Union marked a return to energy insecurity, and electricity produced in Cuba fell by 25% by 1994.
—
Isabella Elias,
The Conversation,
22 May 2026
Verb
The hurricane-weakening effects of El Niño may be positive for property and casualty insurers in the Northern Hemisphere.
—
Bloomberg,
Fortune,
21 June 2026
An unpopular war, a structurally sound economy, but maybe GDP weakening, unemployment strong, but consumer confidence weakening.
—
NBC news,
21 June 2026
On the other hand, the sun loses mass through stellar winds, weakening its gravitational grip and allowing planetary orbits to drift outward.
—
Rupendra Brahambhatt,
Interesting Engineering,
20 June 2026
Critics, however, accused lawmakers of dehumanizing migrants and weakening core protections.
—
Efrat Lachter,
FOXNews.com,
20 June 2026
That may improve short-term efficiency while quietly weakening long-term leadership capacity.
—
Jennie Glazer,
Forbes.com,
18 June 2026
Arthur is then expected to turn inland over Louisiana before weakening.
—
Michael Autovino,
CBS News,
17 June 2026
Yet the extremist group has mobilized its members and media outlets to ramp up criticism of the agreement, heaping pressure on Iranian negotiators who have been attempting to extract concessions from a US administration intent on weakening – and possibly ending – the Islamic Republic.
—
Tim Lister,
CNN Money,
14 June 2026
By then, the storms should be weakening and are not expected to be severe.
—
Kansas City Star,
12 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for weakening
Noun
-
The National Institute of Standards and Technology said long-term corrosion and the failure of multiple slab-to-column connections likely contributed to a progressive collapse after weeks of structural deterioration.
-
Heston is at his most gleefully cynical as Robert Thorn, a police detective who lives and works in a New York City decimated by environmental deterioration and dwindling resources.
Adjective
-
Others are voluntarily asking to see more patients because the most draining and time-consuming parts of their job are now handled by AI.
-
Already carrying wider spans of control and shrinking development support, a manager operating against an outdated role definition is doing something more draining than managing a heavy workload.
Verb
-
National polling on the administration’s immigration policies tends to follow party lines, drawing Democrats’ disapproval and Republicans’ support, but recent polling suggests some softening among the latter.
-
In France, Le Pen and her allies are leading in polls by softening their apocalyptic rhetoric and instead promising big-government populist economic relief.
Verb
-
Their self-cleaning nature means blooms drop naturally after fading, eliminating tedious deadheading.
-
Halsey and her fans’ outrage over an old album review is showing no signs of fading.
Verb
-
For healthy adults interested in safely trying the method, the nutritionist suggests mixing 1 tablespoon of plain, unflavored gelatin powder in hot water, diluting it with room-temperature water or herbal tea, and drinking it 15 to 30 minutes before a single daily meal.
-
Beyond cannabis itself, alcohol and pharmaceuticals compete for the same discretionary dollar, further diluting the addressable market.
Adjective
-
Parazaider had revealed his most debilitating condition in a statement on the group’s website 2021.
-
Such a statistic often provokes a familiar gamut of responses from those who read it, from shock, disgust and anger to a debilitating sense of helplessness.
Verb
-
Instead of wasting time worrying about the perfect sides to prepare with your summery main dishes, whip up one of these one-and-done dinners—no sides required!
-
There are now five-second countdowns for goal kicks and throw-ins to stop time-wasting.
Verb
-
Peptide skin-care products have the unique ability to target a host of skin concerns, from sagging to an impaired skin barrier, in part because there are so many different types of peptides.
-
During my thirties, sagging skin wasn’t really an issue for me.
Cite this Entry
“Weakening.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/weakening. Accessed 27 Jun. 2026.
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