as in shriveled
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
1
as in dried
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
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in faded
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 withered
Luke Miller, Better Homes & Gardens, 11 May 2026
The process leaves behind withered petals and a liquid that cools into a thick wax.
—Cecilia Vega, CBS News, 3 May 2026
Either shear the whole plant by a third or selectively cut withered flowers and leggy stems.
—Teresa Woodard, Midwest Living, 14 Apr. 2026
Heaps of last summer’s grassy sedge lay withered around us.
—Quanta Magazine, 6 Apr. 2026
Soft winds threaten to blow the withered flowers away.
—Celina Tebor, CNN Money, 19 Mar. 2026
Dead fruit rotted on withered evergreens, remnants of a record-cold February.
—Literary Hub, 23 Feb. 2026
Floridians can see it in the withered tones of roadside vegetation and hear it in the dry crunch of their once-green lawns.
—Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, The Orlando Sentinel, 22 Feb. 2026
Among other moves this offseason, the Kings traded Jonas Valančiūnas for the withered remains of Dario Šarić and passed on a golden opportunity to lock in 3-and-D wing Keon Ellis at a value rate by declining his team option and re-signing him as a restricted free agent.
—John Hollinger, New York Times, 10 Oct. 2025
Bloomberg, Oc Register, 27 May 2026
In recent years, however, the vaccine program withered amid cuts in health spending, the Covid pandemic and a botched restructuring of the national medical system.
—Mary Beth Sheridan, CNN Money, 17 May 2026
The ask withered under criticism from legislative leaders in both parties.
—Frederick Melo, Twin Cities, 14 May 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
Its power has withered amid years without peace negotiations and Israel tightening its grip on the occupied West Bank.
—Sam Metz, Arkansas Online, 26 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
The Palestinian Authority’s power has withered amid years without peace negotiations and Israel tightening its grip on the West Bank.
—Sam Metz, Los Angeles Times, 25 Apr. 2026
Their global footprint and their domestic market both have withered away over the last half-century, the finger of blame largely pointing at themselves.
—Jamie Lincoln Kitman, Rolling Stone, 24 Apr. 2026
Adjective
Some oak trees retain their brown, withered leaves over winter, which paints a pretty picture when seen against a backdrop of white snow.
—Luke Miller, Better Homes & Gardens, 11 May 2026
The process leaves behind withered petals and a liquid that cools into a thick wax.
—Cecilia Vega, CBS News, 3 May 2026
Either shear the whole plant by a third or selectively cut withered flowers and leggy stems.
—Teresa Woodard, Midwest Living, 14 Apr. 2026
Heaps of last summer’s grassy sedge lay withered around us.
—Quanta Magazine, 6 Apr. 2026
Soft winds threaten to blow the withered flowers away.
—Celina Tebor, CNN Money, 19 Mar. 2026
Dead fruit rotted on withered evergreens, remnants of a record-cold February.
—Literary Hub, 23 Feb. 2026
Floridians can see it in the withered tones of roadside vegetation and hear it in the dry crunch of their once-green lawns.
—Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, The Orlando Sentinel, 22 Feb. 2026
Among other moves this offseason, the Kings traded Jonas Valančiūnas for the withered remains of Dario Šarić and passed on a golden opportunity to lock in 3-and-D wing Keon Ellis at a value rate by declining his team option and re-signing him as a restricted free agent.
—John Hollinger, New York Times, 10 Oct. 2025
Verb
Drought has also spread across the nation’s breadbasket, where staple wheat crops that are typically used to make all-purpose flour or pasta have withered for lack of rain.
—Bloomberg, Oc Register, 27 May 2026
In recent years, however, the vaccine program withered amid cuts in health spending, the Covid pandemic and a botched restructuring of the national medical system.
—Mary Beth Sheridan, CNN Money, 17 May 2026
The ask withered under criticism from legislative leaders in both parties.
—Frederick Melo, Twin Cities, 14 May 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
Its power has withered amid years without peace negotiations and Israel tightening its grip on the occupied West Bank.
—Sam Metz, Arkansas Online, 26 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
The Palestinian Authority’s power has withered amid years without peace negotiations and Israel tightening its grip on the West Bank.
—Sam Metz, Los Angeles Times, 25 Apr. 2026
Their global footprint and their domestic market both have withered away over the last half-century, the finger of blame largely pointing at themselves.
—Jamie Lincoln Kitman, Rolling Stone, 24 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for withered
Adjective
-
Properly watering succulents keeps them healthy and prevents problems like root rot and shriveled leaves.—
Madeline Buiano,
Martha Stewart,
16 Feb. 2026
-
To avoid finding shriveled potatoes in your pantry, start with fresh, firm potatoes.—
Lauren David,
Southern Living,
15 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Remove Candle Wax If that drip of candle wax on your table dried too quickly, there’s a simple solution.—
Kaitlyn Yarborough,
Southern Living,
28 May 2026
-
Bulgur is made from whole wheat kernels that have been steamed, dried and then crushed, giving it a tender texture and a subtle nutty flavor.—
Linda Gassenheimer,
Boston Herald,
27 May 2026
Verb
-
Those who adapted survived; many who didn't faded.—
Motaz Agamawi,
Forbes.com,
27 May 2026
-
Once the hashmarks, Boise State logo and end zone markings found their way onto the field, many of the jokes faded.—
Shaun Goodwin
May 25,
Idaho Statesman,
25 May 2026
Adjective
-
While the beautiful people always display youth (even if it’s paid for), the always original Benito Antonio Martinez Ocasio was unrecognizable, doubling his actual age of 32 with wizened grey hair, beard and bushy eyebrows, prosthetic wrinkles and a cane.—
Merle Ginsberg,
HollywoodReporter,
5 May 2026
-
Yoda Don’t underestimate the wizened little green guy putzing around with a laser sword.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
3 May 2026
Verb
-
The long-term confidentiality assumption built into these systems is already weakened, whether or not the users know it.—
Sandy Peng,
Forbes.com,
28 May 2026
-
Middle Eastern carriers faced severe operational strain amid the disruptions across airspace throughout the region that weakened regional connectivity, as certain countries still having full or partial closures at the time.—
Glenn Taylor,
Footwear News,
28 May 2026
Adjective
-
Gilbert, now imprisoned at Clinton Correctional Facility in upstate New York, appeared gaunt and withdrawn during the interview, at times mumbling short responses before abruptly cutting the conversation short.—
Stepheny Price,
FOXNews.com,
27 May 2026
-
When supermodels ruled the runway, low-rise pants hugged our hips, everyone smoked cigarettes, grunge was a music genre and an aesthetic, and looking scrawny and gaunt was considered attractive.—
Phaedra Trethan,
USA Today,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
In this second presidency, his main work has been spectacular self-enrichment, even as the economy has sagged under the weight of his catastrophic trade wars.—
David Frum,
The Atlantic,
24 May 2026
-
In Game 2, the Cavaliers sagged off Hart, daring him to shoot 3-point attempts.—
Ryan Canfield,
FOXNews.com,
22 May 2026
Adjective
-
Her skeletal remains, which showed evidence that she had been stabbed to death, were found nearly two years later on April 19, 1986, off Cat Hole Road in Newport, New Hampshire.—
Flint McColgan,
Boston Herald,
31 May 2026
-
University of Waterloo anthropologists did DNA analysis of skeletal remains recovered from Franklin expedition sites, finding that the samples matched DNA donated by living descendants.—
Andrea Margolis,
FOXNews.com,
30 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Withered.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/withered. Accessed 2 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
