wilts

verb

present tense third-person singular of wilt
1
as in droops
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 fades
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 dries
to lose liveliness, force, or freshness after six solid hours of painting, his energy was starting to wilt

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of wilts When to Harvest Spinach Harvest spinach early in the morning when temperatures are cool and before the sun wilts the leaves, says gardening instructor Meg Austin. — Samantha Johnson, Martha Stewart, 7 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wilts
  1. droops
  2. fades
  3. dries
  4. hangs
  5. weakens
  6. sags
  7. goes
  8. fails
Verb
  • The single strand of hair that droops down on his forehead, almost reminiscent of Christopher Reeve’s Superman.
    — Timothy Bella, Washington Post, 28 Sep. 2026
  • Too thick of a mascara coat, and suddenly my gaze droops.
    — Conçetta Ciarlo, Vogue, 8 Jan. 2026
Definition of droops
Verb
  • The film is set in Lucknow as the age of the nawabs (Muslim nobles) fades.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Speed without a foundation collapses, and attention in a crowded market fades fast, but trust endures; and trust is exactly what this channel builds.
    — Joel Goldstein, Forbes.com, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of fades
Verb
  • That blue reflection, the tiger stripes on black that is wet, always wet, like a recollection that never dries, a memory of the sea.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Take, for example, VT Cosmetics’s microneedle serum or Round Lab’s moisturizing sunscreen that dries down with zero white cast.
    — Conçetta Ciarlo, Vogue, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of dries
Verb
  • At a time of high infant mortality and short lifespans, the specter of early death hangs over them as friends and family members die with great and sudden frequency.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 13 Oct. 2026
  • In the bedroom, a photograph by Wolfgang Tillmans hangs opposite a Roman torso of Dionysus.
    — Leonie Rolinck, Architectural Digest, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of hangs
Verb
  • If one connection weakens, Halo can use other available links to preserve connectivity.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Precipitation is expected to gradually taper off Thursday afternoon as the storm system moves east and weakens.
    — Callie Zanandrie, CBS News, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of weakens
Verb
  • Unfortunately, using too little paint will leave patchy areas and harsh lines, and using too much paint will promote drips and paint that sags.
    — Timothy Dale, The Spruce, 6 July 2026
  • There is no scrapeable archive of how to grasp a wet cup, unload a box that sags in the middle, fold a towel, or help an older adult out of a chair.
    — Robert J. Szczerba, Forbes.com, 23 June 2026
Definition of sags
Verb
  • In Whalefall, written and directed by Brian Duffield, Jay (Abrams) goes diving in the Pacific Ocean to find the remains of his late father Mitt (Josh Brolin), who took his own life a year before amid a terminal illness.
    — Glenn Garner, Deadline, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Based on Greaves’ short story, One Night Out centers on a married couple who head out to enjoy a rare date night when their babysitter goes missing.
    — Ryan Gajewski, HollywoodReporter, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of goes
Verb
  • If the upcoming winter fails to deliver a banner snow season, recovering from the drought could take longer.
    — Callie Zanandrie, CBS News, 16 Oct. 2026
  • The graph also fails to account for bigger developments in Russia’s diesel industry related to the strikes.
    — Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of fails

Browse Nearby Words

wilting
wilts
wily
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Cite this Entry

“Wilts.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wilts. Accessed 19 Oct. 2026.

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