withers

verb

Definition of withersnext
present tense third-person singular of wither
1
as in dries
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 fades
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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for withers
  1. dries
  2. fades
  3. weakens
  4. sags
  5. goes
  6. droops
Verb
  • That blue reflection, the tiger stripes on black that is wet, always wet, like a recollection that never dries, a memory of the sea.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Take, for example, VT Cosmetics’s microneedle serum or Round Lab’s moisturizing sunscreen that dries down with zero white cast.
    — Conçetta Ciarlo, Vogue, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of dries
Verb
  • The film is set in Lucknow as the age of the nawabs (Muslim nobles) fades.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Speed without a foundation collapses, and attention in a crowded market fades fast, but trust endures; and trust is exactly what this channel builds.
    — Joel Goldstein, Forbes.com, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of fades
Verb
  • If one connection weakens, Halo can use other available links to preserve connectivity.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Precipitation is expected to gradually taper off Thursday afternoon as the storm system moves east and weakens.
    — Callie Zanandrie, CBS News, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of weakens
Verb
  • Unfortunately, using too little paint will leave patchy areas and harsh lines, and using too much paint will promote drips and paint that sags.
    — Timothy Dale, The Spruce, 6 July 2026
  • There is no scrapeable archive of how to grasp a wet cup, unload a box that sags in the middle, fold a towel, or help an older adult out of a chair.
    — Robert J. Szczerba, Forbes.com, 23 June 2026
Definition of sags
Verb
  • Mediaset’s domestic-first approach goes hand-in-hand with international sales and platform partnerships.
    — Emiliano de Pablos, Variety, 10 Oct. 2026
  • The backstory The Park Hyatt Milan is, as the contemporary parlance goes, so back.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 Oct. 2026
Definition of goes
Verb
  • The single strand of hair that droops down on his forehead, almost reminiscent of Christopher Reeve’s Superman.
    — Timothy Bella, Washington Post, 28 Sep. 2026
  • Too thick of a mascara coat, and suddenly my gaze droops.
    — Conçetta Ciarlo, Vogue, 8 Jan. 2026
Definition of droops
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.

Browse Nearby Words

withering
withers
withheld
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Cite this Entry

“Withers.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/withers. Accessed 17 Oct. 2026.

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