as in shriveled
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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
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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
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Recent Examples of withered
John Hollinger, New York Times, 10 Oct. 2025
Hidden behind a large flowerpot with a single withered flower, the windows are covered over by a grayish-yellow curtain, brittle with lager fumes.
—Zuzana Říhová, Literary Hub, 26 Sep. 2025
During Marie’s private lesson with Cipher, Cate and Jordan infiltrate the dean’s house, finding a withered old man in a hyperbaric chamber.
—Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 24 Sep. 2025
Given America’s withered afloat support capabilities, shepherding fleets of small craft around Cape Horn is an almost insurmountable logistical challenge.
—Craig Hooper, Forbes.com, 14 Aug. 2025
Mohammed R. Mhawish, New Yorker, 14 Oct. 2025
But previous Daniel Jones models would have withered after such an ugly start and retreated to an all-checkdown menu for the rest of the game.
—J.j. Bailey, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2025
Competition, however, has withered in American elections.
—Craig Gilbert, jsonline.com, 25 Sep. 2025
Another media outlet withered under government pressure, ensuring that the administration will continue to extort and exact retribution on broadcasters and publishers who criticize it.
—Hugh Cameron, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Sep. 2025
Many of the plants have bolted or gone to seed or withered in the heat.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 5 Sep. 2025
In the United States, the middle layer of agriculture — small to mid-sized processors, tanneries, and aggregators — has withered under decades of globalization.
—Esha Chhabra, Forbes.com, 27 Aug. 2025
Although Dodik has threatened to defy the ruling, Mujanović said much of his support base in the entity has withered away.
—Christian Edwards, CNN Money, 9 Aug. 2025
But over time, lovers vanished, friendships withered, and purpose drained away.
—Shai Tubali, Big Think, 5 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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
Hidden behind a large flowerpot with a single withered flower, the windows are covered over by a grayish-yellow curtain, brittle with lager fumes.
—Zuzana Říhová, Literary Hub, 26 Sep. 2025
During Marie’s private lesson with Cipher, Cate and Jordan infiltrate the dean’s house, finding a withered old man in a hyperbaric chamber.
—Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 24 Sep. 2025
Given America’s withered afloat support capabilities, shepherding fleets of small craft around Cape Horn is an almost insurmountable logistical challenge.
—Craig Hooper, Forbes.com, 14 Aug. 2025
Verb
Most of those who shaped or even marginally influenced the events of October 7th are gone, leaving Gaza’s authority withered to the point that even managing the hostages has become paralyzingly difficult.
—Mohammed R. Mhawish, New Yorker, 14 Oct. 2025
But previous Daniel Jones models would have withered after such an ugly start and retreated to an all-checkdown menu for the rest of the game.
—J.j. Bailey, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2025
Competition, however, has withered in American elections.
—Craig Gilbert, jsonline.com, 25 Sep. 2025
Another media outlet withered under government pressure, ensuring that the administration will continue to extort and exact retribution on broadcasters and publishers who criticize it.
—Hugh Cameron, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Sep. 2025
Many of the plants have bolted or gone to seed or withered in the heat.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 5 Sep. 2025
In the United States, the middle layer of agriculture — small to mid-sized processors, tanneries, and aggregators — has withered under decades of globalization.
—Esha Chhabra, Forbes.com, 27 Aug. 2025
Although Dodik has threatened to defy the ruling, Mujanović said much of his support base in the entity has withered away.
—Christian Edwards, CNN Money, 9 Aug. 2025
But over time, lovers vanished, friendships withered, and purpose drained away.
—Shai Tubali, Big Think, 5 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for withered
Verb
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And even as the river dried, basin states hoped to negotiate a water-sharing deal to avoid the worst consequences of drought.—
Austin Corona,
AZCentral.com,
6 Nov. 2025
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Silgranit sinks can be cleaned with a mixture of dish soap and vinegar, which will need to sit for at least an hour if there are any hard water deposits before being rinsed and dried.—
Lauren Wicks,
Southern Living,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Just as the story of the Valbanera has faded away, so has awareness of how Canary Islanders have affected the history of Latin America and the United States.—
Raul A. Reyes,
NBC news,
5 Nov. 2025
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In time, the spotlight faded again, and Game's life continued on.—
Brian Brant,
PEOPLE,
4 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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But more alarming than the ways in which this physical space could turn against us was the simple metaphor of a wizened little man pulling a boat down a river in the dark.—
Ann Patchett,
New Yorker,
29 Sep. 2025
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Arsenal also agreed a deal for another teenager, the 16-year-old Shamrock Rovers midfielder Victor Ozhianvuna, a wizened old veteran by comparison.—
Nick Miller,
New York Times,
25 Aug. 2025
Verb
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His paws began to knuckle and his back legs weakened.—
Tereza Shkurtaj,
PEOPLE,
2 Nov. 2025
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In addition to the GOP leaders, most rank-and-file Senate Republicans also oppose repealing the filibuster that’s been slowly weakened by both parties in recent decades for Executive Branch and judicial nominees.—
Ramsey Touchberry,
The Washington Examiner,
31 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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And in a third, the gaunt 30-year-old killer flexes, purses his lips and squints.—
Michael Ruiz,
FOXNews.com,
10 Sep. 2025
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The apparently recent footage showed two hostages -- Guy Gilboa-Dalal and Alon Ohel -- looking gaunt and exhausted while being driven around Gaza City.—
WAFAA SHURAFA,
Arkansas Online,
7 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Both candidates had coattails, pulling along fellow Democrats as Republican turnout sagged.—
David Weigel,
semafor.com,
5 Nov. 2025
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But George appeared in just 41 games due to injury, while Embiid played in just 19 games, and the Sixers sagged to a miserable 24-58 finish.—
Robert Marvi,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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By combining visual and motor data, the AEKE K1 monitors your movements in real time—analyzing 42 skeletal points with sub-second responsiveness.—
Jason Phillips,
USA Today,
6 Nov. 2025
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The impact these conditions have on bone and skeletal growth reduces height.—
Mark Gurarie,
Health,
1 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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Now, the film is a downright classic, centering on three haggard witches (Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy) who go on a hilarious misadventure while trying to remain young forever.—
Keith Langston,
PEOPLE,
30 Oct. 2025
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When Claire first shows up, Sweeney’s haggard appearance is doubly shocking for anyone who’s seen how radiant the star looks in most roles.—
Peter Debruge,
Variety,
7 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Withered.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/withered. Accessed 9 Nov. 2025.
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