1
as in to droop
to be limp from lack of water or vigor
the plants wilted after I forgot to water them for three whole days
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to fade
to lose bodily strength or vigor
she had wilted a bit after walking around the hot and humid city
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to dry
to lose liveliness, force, or freshness
after six solid hours of painting, his energy was starting to wilt
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Recent Examples of wilt
Damaged and decaying roots can’t absorb water and nutrients, causing leaves to wilt and turn yellow.
—
Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 20 Jan. 2026
Dehydrated Leaves If your plant's leaves look wilted or droopy, these could be signs of dehydration.
—Heather Bien, The Spruce, 19 Jan. 2026
If your plant looks wilted and its soil feels soggy, immediately dial back on watering, as this may be a sign that root rot is developing.
—Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 17 Jan. 2026
Chelsea could have easily wilted after going 2-0 and then 3-1 down.
—Simon Johnson, New York Times, 15 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for wilt
Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 20 Jan. 2026
Dehydrated Leaves If your plant's leaves look wilted or droopy, these could be signs of dehydration.
—Heather Bien, The Spruce, 19 Jan. 2026
If your plant looks wilted and its soil feels soggy, immediately dial back on watering, as this may be a sign that root rot is developing.
—Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 17 Jan. 2026
Chelsea could have easily wilted after going 2-0 and then 3-1 down.
—Simon Johnson, New York Times, 15 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for wilt
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wilt
Verb
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The driver’s side sun visor is beginning to droop a bit, perhaps an inch or so from the normal up position.—
John Paul Senior Manager Public Affairs And Traffic Safety Aaa Northeast,
Hartford Courant,
24 Jan. 2026
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Two boys saw the balloons had drooped to the ground.—
Sue Ambrose,
Dallas Morning News,
23 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The notion of grief gradually fades into the backdrop, finally re-emerging in a manner that is, thanks to the film’s lumpy tonal mixture, more confusing than emotionally cleansing.—
Siddhant Adlakha,
Variety,
23 Jan. 2026
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But even a full-bodied brass section and some formidable multi-part harmonies can’t stop the song from fading into a 18-track lineup of anemic lounge-funk flips with near-uniform tempos.—
Hattie Lindert,
Pitchfork,
23 Jan. 2026
Verb
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His mother, Ellen, wearing a gold top and black blazer, beamed with pride, holding a yellow napkin to dry her tears.—
Mike DeFabo,
New York Times,
28 Jan. 2026
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The family hoped jail would dry Jheck out, but neighbors snuck shabu into the facility.—
Sean Williams,
Harpers Magazine,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
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So too were perforated and extended earlobes, in older men and women hanging down well below their chins like fleshy rings.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Jan. 2026
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In a video obtained by TMZ, Sweeney, wearing black cargo pants, a black hoodie and a black hat, hung a clothesline of bras over the sign all while being filmed.—
Christina Dugan Ramirez,
FOXNews.com,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The finance minister’s comments come after Takaichi sent a fresh warning on Sunday that the government will be ready to take action amid a weakening yen and surging bond yields.—
Mia Glass,
Bloomberg,
28 Jan. 2026
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Over the past day, the trough that was keeping the storm track far away from us here has weakened, allowing the track to be closer to us.—
Ron Smiley,
CBS News,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Many grapes become too rotted and are left to wither away.—
John Mariani,
Forbes.com,
23 Jan. 2026
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His ego would wither and blow away like so many leaves in autumn.—
Bill Goodykoontz,
AZCentral.com,
20 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Does the couch have a tendency to sag?—
Katherine McLaughlin,
Architectural Digest,
22 Jan. 2026
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Shoulders sagging, Charleigh set the wooden spoon down, steeling herself.—
Lizz Schumer,
PEOPLE,
20 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Most of them go deep into the memory vault of childhood, recalling fishing trips and family gatherings.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
14 Jan. 2026
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Nordstrom Lucky Brand Fair Isle Shawl-Collar Cardigan Both Lopez’s and Hudson’s sweaters appear to be from Polo Ralph Lauren (the former’s looks like this one that's no longer available, while the latter’s resembles this one that goes for $798).—
Alyssa Grabinski,
PEOPLE,
14 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Wilt.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wilt. Accessed 31 Jan. 2026.
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