1
as in to dry
to lose liveliness, force, or freshness
shortly after the moon landing, interest in the space program withered the old man seemed to wither suddenly upon turning 80
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to fade
to lose bodily strength or vigor
if he's left on his own, he'll just wither and die
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of wither
At an April 16 House hearing, Michael Kozak, a senior official in the State Department's Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs, fielded withering questions from lawmakers on both sides of the aisle, underscoring the complexity of the issue.
—
Rick Jervis, USA Today, 18 Apr. 2026
Catherine is all defensive spikes, while Robert, both dead and alive, can be withering in his judgment.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 17 Apr. 2026
Emond, as Suzanna’s hypercritical mother, puts an Olympic-level spin on her withering observations.
—Emily Nussbaum, New Yorker, 16 Apr. 2026
Tomatoes grow, then wither Guelleh can bear witness to the hope - and the letdown.
—Julie Bourdin, NPR, 11 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for wither
Rick Jervis, USA Today, 18 Apr. 2026
Catherine is all defensive spikes, while Robert, both dead and alive, can be withering in his judgment.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 17 Apr. 2026
Emond, as Suzanna’s hypercritical mother, puts an Olympic-level spin on her withering observations.
—Emily Nussbaum, New Yorker, 16 Apr. 2026
Tomatoes grow, then wither Guelleh can bear witness to the hope - and the letdown.
—Julie Bourdin, NPR, 11 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for wither
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wither
Verb
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Spray dry toilet paper with cleansing, soothing and refreshing Pristine to create an instant wet wipe that is actually flushable and safe for your sewer and septic systems.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
21 Apr. 2026
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Installing houses beneath an overhanging roofline helps keep the bee homes dry.—
Lauren Landers,
Better Homes & Gardens,
20 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Garments spanning nylon half-zips to French Terry sweatshirts, garments look faded and worn-in and feature hallmarks of denim like whiskers, creases, abrasions and breakages that tell stories of time and use.—
Angela Velasquez,
Footwear News,
24 Apr. 2026
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It's become the default mode of governing for majorities in Congress as bipartisanship on major issues fades away.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
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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
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The Magic didn’t wilt, though, and took hold of the game.—
Jason Beede,
The Orlando Sentinel,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Every time a middle-class family is forced to drain its wealth or pull back on discretionary spending just to absorb the logistical cost of a geopolitical crisis, the entire economy weakens.—
Katica Roy,
Fortune,
21 Apr. 2026
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But an industry post from commercial real estate analytics firm CoStar cites geopolitical conflict and high ticket prices for weakening demand and hotelier optimism.—
Vivian Song,
CNN Money,
21 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Johnson became the club’s sixth man midway through the 2023-24 campaign when then-coach Gregg Popovich moved him to the bench hoping the the high-energy 29th overall pick of the 2019 draft would energize a sagging second unit.—
Tom Orsborn,
San Antonio Express-News,
22 Apr. 2026
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Broadway box office sagged a bit last week, possibly as the previous week’s Easter vacationers and spring-breakers returned home and a crowded, 40-show production slate with lots of newcomers competed with one another for attention.—
Greg Evans,
Deadline,
21 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Instead, the 2026 draft saw a running back go third, a middle linebacker go seventh, and nine offensive linemen gone by the end of the first round.—
Zak Keefer,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
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There’s a lot that goes (on) behind the scene as a manager.—
Ronald Blum,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
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If Campbell fails, then speculation can fairly begin.—
Andrew Callahan,
Boston Herald,
25 Apr. 2026
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Just to recap, Dach had the puck in overtime in the neutral zone but failed to gain the red line before flipping the puck down the ice to get a change, being forced to stay on the ice when that puck crossed the Lightning goal line for an icing.—
Arpon Basu,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Wither.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wither. Accessed 29 Apr. 2026.
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