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
Perform this task when silks have begun to wither and turn brown, approximately five days after the silks emerge.
—
Joshua Siskin, Oc Register, 2 Aug. 2025
The seed for the withering putdown of then-vice presidential candidate Dan Quayle that would become the signature line of the late former U.S. Sen. Lloyd Bentsen of Texas was actually planted 40 years before it was delivered.
—John C. Moritz, Austin American Statesman, 30 July 2025
Families are left to scavenge while their children wither from hunger.
—Chicago Tribune, 5 Aug. 2025
Despite the pedestrian bridges, the section of Mulkey Square north of the cut withered.
—Elijah Winkler, Kansas City Star, 27 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for wither
Joshua Siskin, Oc Register, 2 Aug. 2025
The seed for the withering putdown of then-vice presidential candidate Dan Quayle that would become the signature line of the late former U.S. Sen. Lloyd Bentsen of Texas was actually planted 40 years before it was delivered.
—John C. Moritz, Austin American Statesman, 30 July 2025
Families are left to scavenge while their children wither from hunger.
—Chicago Tribune, 5 Aug. 2025
Despite the pedestrian bridges, the section of Mulkey Square north of the cut withered.
—Elijah Winkler, Kansas City Star, 27 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for wither
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wither
Verb
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From there, either air dry your hair or opt for a dryer, like L’Oreal’s AirLight Pro, that creates a similar effect.—
Footwear News,
Footwear News,
8 Aug. 2025
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The state’s sweeping 2019 gambling expansion bill, which added everything from six new casinos to sports betting, took it one step further, allowing all casinos to be built on or moved to dry land.—
Robert Channick,
Chicago Tribune,
7 Aug. 2025
Verb
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The television had faded to a speck and Ted took my other hand and the three of us snaked from the room.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
7 Aug. 2025
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That uptick in sales and streams hasn’t faded just yet, even though the shock has largely worn off.—
Hugh McIntyre,
Forbes.com,
7 Aug. 2025
Verb
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During the last two minutes of cook time, toss in spinach leaves and cook until wilted.—
Mary Claire Britton,
Southern Living,
12 Aug. 2025
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The decrease in turgor makes leaves and stems droop and wilt.—
Andy Wilcox,
Better Homes & Gardens,
10 Aug. 2025
Verb
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But Goolsbee said Trump’s immigration crackdown likely has affected population growth and the jobs numbers, but that doesn’t mean the labor market has substantially weakened.—
Paul Davidson,
USA Today,
13 Aug. 2025
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This means banana particles can remain between teeth for an extended period, giving bacteria more time to produce acids that weaken tooth enamel.14 6.—
Lindsay Curtis,
Verywell Health,
13 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Once reserved for removing sagging undereye bags and loose skin on the 60-year-old facelift set, lower blepharoplasty is now appealing to broader age groups, including patients in their 30s and even 20s, who want to get rid of chronic undereye puffiness and shadows that serums just can’t fix.—
Kara Nesvig,
Allure,
4 Aug. 2025
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The city also is conducting a study of how to tackle Hartford’s sagging office market, and it is expected to be released by the end of the summer.—
Kenneth R. Gosselin,
Hartford Courant,
3 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Other posts remain online long after going viral — even if the comments section is flooded with fans noting that a video or picture is falsified or abusive.—
Julia Poe,
Chicago Tribune,
9 Aug. 2025
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Preston went missing for the first time in 1990, McCollum said.—
Everett Eaton,
jsonline.com,
9 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Crucially, many systems still fail to consider complexities like second marriages, age diversity, regional variation or cross-cultural compatibility.—
Anuradha Gupta,
Forbes.com,
8 Aug. 2025
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The Emperor Titus attempted but failed to revive Pompeii and its sibling town Herculaneum soon after the catastrophe, leaving the desolate region largely abandoned until its rediscovery in 1748.—
Andrew Paul Aug 7,
Popular Science,
7 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Wither.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wither. Accessed 21 Aug. 2025.
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