as in failing
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
1
as in drooping
to be limp from lack of water or vigor
the plants wilted after I forgot to water them for three whole days
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in fading
to lose bodily strength or vigor
she had wilted a bit after walking around the hot and humid city
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in drying
to lose liveliness, force, or freshness
after six solid hours of painting, his energy was starting to wilt
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of wilting
Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 16 Mar. 2026
The first sign your peace lily is thirsty will be yellowing and wilting leaves.
—Leanne Potts, Better Homes & Gardens, 14 Jan. 2026
No wilting languor on this veranda — for that matter, no veranda either — just ferocity, desperation, and, of course, brutal desire.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 4 Dec. 2025
Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 16 June 2026
Signs of heat stress include prematurely dropped fruit, wilting, drooping branches, and scorched leaves.
—Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 15 June 2026
Woolley shared a photo of the two posing side-by-side at the event on Instagram with brown heart and wilting rose emojis as the caption.
—Emma Kershaw, PEOPLE, 12 June 2026
This rapid heating causes the cell walls to rupture, leading to wilting of the foliage and ultimately killing the plants without completely incinerating them.
—Sj McShane, Martha Stewart, 10 June 2026
Keeping soil consistently moist, especially in heat or containers, is key to preventing wilting.
—Jane Kim, The Spruce, 9 June 2026
This caused wilting, stunted crop growth, tree die-back and lower yields, while increasing global cocoa prices even more.
—Indrabati Lahiri, Forbes.com, 25 May 2026
Mary Marlowe Leverette, The Spruce, 17 June 2026
These will still need regular watering but might just make it through the day without wilting.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 12 June 2026
Don't always assume a wilting plant is dehydrated.
—Samantha Johnson, Martha Stewart, 30 May 2026
Beating the spotlight-wilting Maple Leafs was one thing.
—Sean McIndoe, New York Times, 11 May 2026
Our students are not wilting flowers.
—Paula Wethington, CBS News, 4 May 2026
Many of the symptoms of overwatering — wilting, yellowing leaves, drooping stems — look almost identical to those of underwatering, which is why so many people respond by reaching for the watering can again.
—Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Sacbee.com, 29 Apr. 2026
The relationship between Washington and London has been wilting for years, Bergmann said, starting with the end of the Cold War and the United States putting less emphasis on Russia and Europe.
—Michael Collins, USA Today, 25 Apr. 2026
Adjective
Keep an eye out for wilting leaves, and check the soil for dryness.
—Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 16 Mar. 2026
The first sign your peace lily is thirsty will be yellowing and wilting leaves.
—Leanne Potts, Better Homes & Gardens, 14 Jan. 2026
No wilting languor on this veranda — for that matter, no veranda either — just ferocity, desperation, and, of course, brutal desire.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 4 Dec. 2025
Noun
Tomato plants that are overcrowded may have slow or stunted growth, decreased fruit production, signs of disease, and yellowing or wilting leaves.
—Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 16 June 2026
Signs of heat stress include prematurely dropped fruit, wilting, drooping branches, and scorched leaves.
—Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 15 June 2026
Woolley shared a photo of the two posing side-by-side at the event on Instagram with brown heart and wilting rose emojis as the caption.
—Emma Kershaw, PEOPLE, 12 June 2026
This rapid heating causes the cell walls to rupture, leading to wilting of the foliage and ultimately killing the plants without completely incinerating them.
—Sj McShane, Martha Stewart, 10 June 2026
Keeping soil consistently moist, especially in heat or containers, is key to preventing wilting.
—Jane Kim, The Spruce, 9 June 2026
This caused wilting, stunted crop growth, tree die-back and lower yields, while increasing global cocoa prices even more.
—Indrabati Lahiri, Forbes.com, 25 May 2026
Verb
All parts of the tree exude juglone, a toxin that causes stunted growth, wilting foliage, and death for tomato plants.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, The Spruce, 17 June 2026
These will still need regular watering but might just make it through the day without wilting.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 12 June 2026
Don't always assume a wilting plant is dehydrated.
—Samantha Johnson, Martha Stewart, 30 May 2026
Beating the spotlight-wilting Maple Leafs was one thing.
—Sean McIndoe, New York Times, 11 May 2026
Our students are not wilting flowers.
—Paula Wethington, CBS News, 4 May 2026
Many of the symptoms of overwatering — wilting, yellowing leaves, drooping stems — look almost identical to those of underwatering, which is why so many people respond by reaching for the watering can again.
—Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Sacbee.com, 29 Apr. 2026
The relationship between Washington and London has been wilting for years, Bergmann said, starting with the end of the Cold War and the United States putting less emphasis on Russia and Europe.
—Michael Collins, USA Today, 25 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wilting
Noun
-
Tordillos noted that the potential shortfall from the hotel tax failing would have been just a fraction of the threat posed by the November ballot measure.—
Ryan Macasero,
Mercury News,
18 June 2026
-
The outsize failings of the men in power demand a grand reimagining of the consequences of those failings, and Helen of Nowhere offers up, exhilaratingly and naughtily, a myth for the man who needs to be shuffled offstage one way or another.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
18 June 2026
Verb
-
Signs of heat stress include prematurely dropped fruit, wilting, drooping branches, and scorched leaves.—
Lauren Landers,
Better Homes & Gardens,
15 June 2026
-
Affected babies may show symptoms including constipation, poor feeding, drooping eyelid, sluggish pupils, low muscle tone, difficulty sucking and swallowing, weak or altered crying, difficulty breathing, and generalized weakness.—
Kerry Breen,
CBS News,
14 June 2026
Verb
-
Most El Niño events typically begin forming between March and June, strengthen through summer into fall, and peak between November and January before fading in late winter into spring.—
Brandi D. Addison,
USA Today,
15 June 2026
-
Market expectations have shifted throughout the war, with broad rate cut expectations fading and being replaced by higher-for-longer interest-rate environments across economies.—
Terri Cullen,Chloe Taylor,Garrett Downs,Anniek Bao,
CNBC,
14 June 2026
Verb
-
Made from a quick-drying blend of cotton and viscose from bamboo, these pieces feel soft against the skin while remaining breathable and absorbent.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
13 June 2026
-
These travel pants from Baleaf are breathable, quick-drying, lightweight, and ultra-stretchy—oh, and the ankle length is a perfect fit for petite shoppers like myself.—
Sophie Dodd,
Travel + Leisure,
12 June 2026
Noun
-
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
Verb
-
What to do with your new toy, a toy that has had serious batting trouble with its stars, with severe problems driving in runs, and pitching hanging by a torn ligament?—
Nick Canepa,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
14 June 2026
-
Videos showed fans standing atop taxis, hanging from structures and surging through intersections.—
Alaa Elassar,
CNN Money,
14 June 2026
Verb
-
Teachers use it as a behavioral bargaining chip, administrators weigh playtime against sagging test scores and researchers argue over how best to structure the minutes.—
Cierra Morgan,
Los Angeles Times,
18 June 2026
-
More often, though, Griffin talks about American debt, competitiveness, and sagging productivity.—
Gary Sernovitz,
New Yorker,
15 June 2026
Verb
-
Outnumbered over 10 to 1, the British volleys against them were withering, and again they were thrown back.—
Paul Callahan,
Baltimore Sun,
14 June 2026
-
Brooke Lynn Heights can play the withering queen bee role she’s given in her sleep, while Marcia Marcia Marcia and Symoné prove amusingly bitchy lackies.—
Wilson Chapman,
IndieWire,
9 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Wilting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wilting. Accessed 20 Jun. 2026.
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