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
Relevance
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 wither
But without original ideas in the product pipeline, the company would wither on the vine despite its many long-running hits, Zelnick observed.
—
Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 30 Apr. 2026
Decades of relations built through OPEC and other organizations withered under fire, while Western and Israeli ties deepened through the Abraham Accords and shared security threats from Iran.
—Judah Taub, semafor.com, 30 Apr. 2026
Runway is going virulently viral for all the wrong reasons, and its editor, the legendary Miranda Priestly (Meryl Streep), is, for once, at a loss for a withering mot juste when her advertisers demand an explanation.
—Damon Wise, Deadline, 29 Apr. 2026
The Palestinian Authority, however, has not held a presidential election in 21 years, and support for it and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has withered during years of corruption and frustration over the sometimes violent advances of Jewish settlers in the West Bank.
—ABC News, 26 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for wither
Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 30 Apr. 2026
Decades of relations built through OPEC and other organizations withered under fire, while Western and Israeli ties deepened through the Abraham Accords and shared security threats from Iran.
—Judah Taub, semafor.com, 30 Apr. 2026
Runway is going virulently viral for all the wrong reasons, and its editor, the legendary Miranda Priestly (Meryl Streep), is, for once, at a loss for a withering mot juste when her advertisers demand an explanation.
—Damon Wise, Deadline, 29 Apr. 2026
The Palestinian Authority, however, has not held a presidential election in 21 years, and support for it and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has withered during years of corruption and frustration over the sometimes violent advances of Jewish settlers in the West Bank.
—ABC News, 26 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for wither
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wither
Verb
-
There are also included cushions that won’t fade in the sun and dry quickly after storms.—
Shea Simmons,
Southern Living,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Think 360-degree stretch, lightweight breathable fibers that dry almost as fast as athletic shorts, and an antimicrobial treatment that keeps them smelling and feeling fresh in between washes.—
Katie Jackson,
Travel + Leisure,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The practice didn’t fade with the modern age; women across generations have kept it alive.—
Boutheina Ben Salem,
Vogue,
8 May 2026
-
After the rogue’s gallery is introduced early on, nearly everyone except for Tim, Elliot, and Rebecca fades into the background, although delightfully, Emma Thompson nails her brief comedic role as a brusque solicitor handling George’s last will and testament.—
Wilson Chapman,
IndieWire,
8 May 2026
Verb
-
While fading blooms typically wilt or go limp, wilting of foliage or plant stems is a sign the plant is water stressed.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
9 May 2026
-
To his credit, Becerra did not wilt under the pressure.—
Douglas Schoen,
Oc Register,
8 May 2026
Verb
-
The deeper the rifts between the United States and Europe over Iran, the greater the chances of weakening the NATO alliance.—
Sudarsan Raghavan,
New Yorker,
28 Apr. 2026
-
During his appearances on Capitol Hill this month, Secretary Kennendy was grilled about the administration's defense of the pesticide industry and weakening of protections against mercury pollution, another issue that Kennedy had worked on as an advocate.—
Will Stone,
NPR,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
This is infused in extra-large toner pads for deep firming hydration to refine pores, smooth texture, and visibly lift sagging skin all in one gentle swipe.—
Rosa Jisoo Pyo,
Vogue,
8 May 2026
-
Another shopper highlighted that the fabric has just the right amount of structure to drape well without sagging or clinging.—
Staff Author,
Southern Living,
6 May 2026
Verb
-
As co-owner of the Australian team along with fellow Hollywood star Hugh Jackman and Slingsby, Reynolds went practice racing on Friday and actually won the race.—
Andrew Rice,
New York Times,
11 May 2026
-
The vibe of the ensuing sketch could go either way.—
Alex Barasch,
New Yorker,
11 May 2026
Verb
-
The same regulators failed to pay attention when Prospect sold hospital assets and paid themselves the proceeds, leaving the hospitals finances increasingly precarious.—
Kevin Rennie,
Hartford Courant,
9 May 2026
-
Ugarte previously agreed to a $25,000 settlement with the Los Angeles City Ethics Commission over failing to disclose outside income earned through his consulting firm while serving as a City Hall aide to Price.—
Teresa Liu,
Daily News,
9 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Wither.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wither. Accessed 11 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
