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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Example Sentences
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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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Signs of Underwatering The most obvious sign of underwatering is wilting or drooping.—
Rachel Gillett,
Martha Stewart,
21 Jan. 2026
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Instead of dampness and mushy roots, the orchid’s pseudobulbs (stem sections that store water) may look shriveled, roots may be dry and silvery, blooms droop, and buds may drop.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
20 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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After dinner, either load and run the dishwasher or handwash dishes and add them to the drying rack.—
Mary Cornetta,
Better Homes & Gardens,
21 Jan. 2026
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Searing creates the crisp, golden crust; baking cooks the chicken evenly through without drying it out.—
John Becker,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
20 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The fabric body is designed to hang from a standard closet rod, making this soft and flexible piece an easy addition to existing storage systems.—
Shea Simmons,
PEOPLE,
21 Jan. 2026
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The tight weave and muted colors get the spirit of the wall-hanging just right, and the botanical print makes a great value-add against more modern colors and textures (dark brown chenille or white linen are coming to mind, for example).—
Audrey Lee,
Architectural Digest,
20 Jan. 2026
Verb
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When leaders visibly adjust decisions based on input, silence weakens.—
Benjamin Laker,
Forbes.com,
20 Jan. 2026
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Wet wipes contain alcohol and chemicals that strip natural oils, damage materials like leather, and weaken shoe adhesives.—
Jamie Cuccinelli,
Martha Stewart,
20 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 26 Jan. 2026.
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