1
as in to soften
to diminish the physical strength of
weeks of hardship in the desert had greatly weakened them
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to fade
to lose bodily strength or vigor
the bodybuilder weakened once she eased off on her workouts
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to dilute
to alter (something) for the worse with the addition of foreign or lower-grade substances
weakened the juice with too much water
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 weaken
Their oversight role has been considerably weakened, but SB 1264 would do away with them altogether.
—
Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, The Orlando Sentinel, 24 Apr. 2025
But his support on those twin policy pillars are showing signs of weakening in a series of new polls pegged to his first 100 days back in power.
—Philip Elliott, Time, 24 Apr. 2025
China could also dump U.S. Treasuries for a few days, panicking the bond market and weakening the dollar.
—Nicholas D. Kristof, Mercury News, 24 Apr. 2025
The regime in Beijing therefore has considerable control over key nodes in the fentanyl chain: raw materials, production, sales and money laundering.
U.S. leaders, Democrats and Republicans alike, have accused China of using fentanyl to weaken the United States.
—Sebastian Rotella, ProPublica, 23 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for weaken
Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, The Orlando Sentinel, 24 Apr. 2025
But his support on those twin policy pillars are showing signs of weakening in a series of new polls pegged to his first 100 days back in power.
—Philip Elliott, Time, 24 Apr. 2025
China could also dump U.S. Treasuries for a few days, panicking the bond market and weakening the dollar.
—Nicholas D. Kristof, Mercury News, 24 Apr. 2025
The regime in Beijing therefore has considerable control over key nodes in the fentanyl chain: raw materials, production, sales and money laundering.
U.S. leaders, Democrats and Republicans alike, have accused China of using fentanyl to weaken the United States.
—Sebastian Rotella, ProPublica, 23 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for weaken
Recent Examples of Synonyms for weaken
Verb
-
Add bell peppers to pan; cook until peppers just start to soften, stirring occasionally, 2 to 3 minutes.—
Ann Taylor Pittman,
Southern Living,
2 May 2025
-
Grief can soften us and deepen our empathy or bring on rage and isolation.—
Friends of Karen,
Forbes.com,
1 May 2025
Verb
-
Hope for a similar easy resolution for the Wentz family quickly faded.—
Mara Bovsun,
New York Daily News,
3 May 2025
-
The issue of student rights has faded from headlines, though obstacles linger.—
Jessie Yeung,
CNN Money,
3 May 2025
Verb
-
It was then put into a Chartreuse barrel for an additional seven months of aging, and finally returned to the bourbon barrel to allow the flavors to marry before being diluted to bottling strength of 46 percent ABV.—
Jonah Flicker,
Robb Report,
30 Apr. 2025
-
To make cold-brew concentrate that can then be diluted with water or milk, roll with a ratio of 4 or 5 to 1 by weight.—
Matthew Korfhage,
Wired News,
30 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
After years of lawsuits and courtroom drama, director Joel Souza (who was also injured in the incident) finished the movie (now in theaters and on demand).—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
3 May 2025
-
The children who were injured in the attack are in the hospital in a stable condition, according to the police report.—
Latoya Gayle,
People.com,
2 May 2025
Verb
-
Consumer confidence is sagging as shoppers are fatigued by inflation and the impact of tariffs.—
Arthur Zaczkiewicz,
Footwear News,
1 May 2025
-
The continued flouting of production quotas could keep oil prices sagging, even after US President Donald Trump signalled a potential U-turn on his trade war with China.—
Amy Gunia,
CNN Money,
28 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
People usually get infected with the bacteria by eating raw shellfish, especially oysters, or through an open wound that has direct contact with saltwater.—
Michelle Marchante,
Miami Herald,
29 Apr. 2025
-
Many people are actually infected with H. pylori and don’t experience any symptoms, but around 15% will go on to develop an ulcer in either their stomach (known as a gastric ulcer) or a portion of the small intestine called the duodenum (known as a duodenal ulcer).—
Caroline Tien,
SELF,
28 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
With the many debilitating symptoms of long COVID, diet often takes a backseat to medication or supplements.—
Mark Weinstein,
MSNBC Newsweek,
27 Apr. 2025
-
Santana, who is known musically just by his last name along with fellow bandmembers, did not appear before crowds at the Majestic Theatre in San Antonio, Texas, after suffering a debilitating bout of dehydration.—
Anna Kaufman,
USA Today,
24 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
That effort cost Obama's party control of the U.S. House of Representatives, while Republicans failed in their own bids to repeal the law.—
Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy,
USA Today,
4 May 2025
-
Even though the measure failed in Bensenville, at least 163 communities around the state have recently enacted local grocery taxes.—
Molly Morrow,
Chicago Tribune,
4 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Weaken.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/weaken. Accessed 13 May. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share