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
As a skin care ingredient, hyaluronic acid floods withered, thirsty skin with moisture, thereby smoothing the appearance of fine lines.
—
Sophie Wirt, InStyle, 10 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
Rick Dolliver, a lobsterman who also runs a popular bar in the town, gave a withering verdict on the Democratic hopeful.
—David Millward, The Washington Examiner, 7 June 2026
Months of withering brutal weather gave way to soccer abandon on the turf, as two of Ottawa’s best junior teams clashed in the sunlight.
—Paula Newton, CNN Money, 6 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for wither
Sophie Wirt, InStyle, 10 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
Rick Dolliver, a lobsterman who also runs a popular bar in the town, gave a withering verdict on the Democratic hopeful.
—David Millward, The Washington Examiner, 7 June 2026
Months of withering brutal weather gave way to soccer abandon on the turf, as two of Ottawa’s best junior teams clashed in the sunlight.
—Paula Newton, CNN Money, 6 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for wither
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wither
Verb
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Either way, Aestura’s Atobarrier 365 Ceramide Cream Mist is an easy way to give quick hydration to dry, stressed skin, thanks to an ultrafine spray packed with ceramides.—
Christa Joanna Lee,
Allure,
24 June 2026
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On its extensive resume are tasks like soothing angry, overheated skin; combatting signs of photoaging courtesy of vitamin C; and preventing moisture loss by way of squalane (an emollient that permeates skin with hydration after salty water or unexpected beach breezes dry it out).—
Stacia Datskovska,
Footwear News,
23 June 2026
Verb
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Just faded to a dark backdrop of the forgotten.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
19 June 2026
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After Flowering As soon as the blooms fade, cut the flower stalk at the stalk base on an angle using sharp pruners, says Eric Nieusma, co-owner of Maine Hill Farm.—
SJ McShane,
Martha Stewart,
18 June 2026
Verb
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Intended as a celebration of the progress embodied by the nation's first Black leader, its Juneteenth unveiling comes at a time when his agenda - and broader diversity initiatives - are wilting from a decade of concerted attack.—
CBS Chicago Team,
CBS News,
18 June 2026
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The Algerian defense seemed beaten, broken and demoralized by Messi and his teammates and wilted by the heat in Kansas City.—
Kyle Feldscher,
CNN Money,
17 June 2026
Verb
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Vcg | Visual China Group | Getty Images BEIJING — China’s consumer spending slowdown persisted in June, with growth during one of the country’s largest online shopping festivals weakening sharply from a year earlier.—
Evelyn Cheng,
CNBC,
23 June 2026
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All three of those protagonists have been weakened in their roles by what has gone on.—
Nasser Hussain,
New York Times,
23 June 2026
Verb
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Trump’s sagging approval rating comes as Democrats have a chance at outperforming Republicans in midterms, with Emerson’s May poll showing Democrats with a 9-point advantage on the generic congressional ballot, though 9% of voters were undecided.—
Sara Dorn,
Forbes.com,
19 June 2026
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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
Verb
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The Phillies duo followed up their historic night on Saturday in which Schwarber hit three home runs and Harper hit for the cycle, by both going deep against the Mets again.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
22 June 2026
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How airlines and airports can do better Maglione and Riccobono both said that training and implementing new technology can go a long way toward improving the flying experience for blind travelers.—
Zach Wichter,
USA Today,
22 June 2026
Verb
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With one out in the sixth and Nick Loftin at third, Tolbert twice failed to get down safety-squeeze bunts.—
Blair Kerkhoff,
Kansas City Star,
20 June 2026
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Ryan Ward scored the winning run after Baltimore catcher Samuel Basallo failed to catch right fielder Tyler O’Neill’s throw to the plate.—
Maddie Lee,
Los Angeles Times,
20 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Wither.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wither. Accessed 24 Jun. 2026.
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