as in failing
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1
as in drying
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 fading
to lose bodily strength or vigor
if he's left on his own, he'll just wither and die
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of withering
Nathaniel Meyersohn, CNN Money, 5 Mar. 2026
In reality, the effect a low-gravity environment would have on the human body over time would be withering.
—Alan Bradley, Space.com, 21 Feb. 2026
Daytime and late night, for sure, have been withering faster than other aspects of the traditional TV business.
—Rick Porter, HollywoodReporter, 21 Feb. 2026
In recent decades, Murdoch, now 94, has subjected his oldest adult children to withering takedowns and has also pitted them against one another.
—The Week Us, TheWeek, 18 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for withering
Verb
Businesses in border towns like Buffalo and Bellingham, Washington, are withering.
—Nathaniel Meyersohn, CNN Money, 5 Mar. 2026
In reality, the effect a low-gravity environment would have on the human body over time would be withering.
—Alan Bradley, Space.com, 21 Feb. 2026
Daytime and late night, for sure, have been withering faster than other aspects of the traditional TV business.
—Rick Porter, HollywoodReporter, 21 Feb. 2026
In recent decades, Murdoch, now 94, has subjected his oldest adult children to withering takedowns and has also pitted them against one another.
—The Week Us, TheWeek, 18 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for withering
Recent Examples of Synonyms for withering
Noun
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Nicole Tallman’s job as a senior staffer under Miami-Dade County’s mayor puts her on the frontlines of county government’s many failings, mishaps and challenges.—
Douglas Hanks
April 1,
Miami Herald,
1 Apr. 2026
-
Before 1956, addiction to drugs and alcohol were considered failings in morality or personal will.—
CT Jones,
Rolling Stone,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Never again will your towel slip off while blow drying your hair or applying makeup -- made with a soft elastic band across the back and finished with a Velcro closure in front.—
Tory Johnson,
ABC News,
7 Apr. 2026
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Many people also like their small laundry room to contain a cabinet or closet for linens and have room to tuck away laundry baskets, drying racks, ironing boards, and the like.—
Lindsey Mather,
Architectural Digest,
7 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Dylan’s Patreon is neither a brilliant multimedia project or a sign that his skills are fading.—
Christian Zilko,
IndieWire,
6 Apr. 2026
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But with game preservation increasingly becoming an important aspect in the industry, Defender seems to be a fading memory for older players, as well as an unknown game for younger ones.—
Daryl Baxter,
Space.com,
4 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Prosecutors said the owners were given multiple warnings about the roof's deterioration and were even urged to cancel the concert that was going on at the time of the collapse.—
Jennifer Bisram,
CBS News,
8 Apr. 2026
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In addition, physical deterioration has become a concern over time.—
Sujita Sinha,
Interesting Engineering,
6 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The next morning, the tops of every plant lie wilting on the ground.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
14 Mar. 2026
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Rotten flowers sit wilting in a vase, the fireplace is lit, and clothes are strewn around.—
Aramide Tinubu,
Variety,
18 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Anthropic's showdown with the Pentagon this year left OpenAI looking like the bad guy, and just this week Bloomberg reported that demand is weakening for private shares of OpenAI in the secondary market.—
Alexei Oreskovic,
Fortune,
3 Apr. 2026
-
But those safeguards appear to be weakening.—
Jennifer Elias,Jonathan Vanian,
CNBC,
3 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Two of the people with MS, including Miller, have progressive MS, a form of the disease marked by gradual worsening of neurological function and disabilities over time.—
Kaitlin Sullivan,
NBC news,
15 Mar. 2026
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With America’s loneliness epidemic worsening, there’s a real risk of suicide rates continuing to rise.—
Sam Manzella,
Flow Space,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Wrinkles, sun spots and sagging skin have become so demonized, that even teenagers — decades away from this reality — and increasingly men, previously exempt from this ruinous beauty standard, have started to fear, anticipate and prepare for their arrival.—
Leah Dolan,
CNN Money,
2 Apr. 2026
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When Nordstrom went private last year, the move was seen by industry analysts as a way to let the founding family make the changes needed to rejuvenate its sagging department store business without being hemmed in by Wall Street’s short-term focus on profits.—
Phil Wahba,
Fortune,
31 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Withering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/withering. Accessed 10 Apr. 2026.
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