as in quieting (down)
to stop talking
sick of her constant complaining, he angrily told her to dry up
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of drying up
Elsewhere, lakes are drying up, and dams are flooding millennia-old villages and historic sites.
—
Literary Hub, 10 Feb. 2026
Climate change itself has become a major risk factor, with heatwaves disabling power plants and droughts drying up hydro reservoirs.
—Scott Montgomery, Forbes.com, 30 Jan. 2026
In 2019, lawmakers approved a moratorium on new mines to protect the aquifer — and the streams and springs that flow from it — from drying up until further studies can be done.
—Kayla Branch, The Frontier, 12 Jan. 2026
The health of the debt market is in sharp contrast to that of regional stock exchanges, where indices are lagging the US and emerging markets and the flow of IPOs is drying up.
—Dominic Dudley, semafor.com, 30 Dec. 2025
On Saturday, funding for SNAP federal food assistance drying up.
—ABC News, 2 Nov. 2025
Local public health officials have also expressed concerns about funding drying up for WIC, which supports women, infants and children with nutritional assistance and other health services.
—Marina Johnson, Louisville Courier Journal, 30 Oct. 2025
But as water became scarce in the American Southwest, the allocation to Imperial Valley farmers was reduced, overflow stopped, and the Salton Sea started drying up.
—Big Think, 17 Oct. 2025
Once the washing is done, the drying system circulates warm air – 110 °F (43 °C) – through carpet fibers, drying up to 400 sq ft of carpet in around two hours.
—New Atlas, 13 Oct. 2025
Literary Hub, 10 Feb. 2026
Climate change itself has become a major risk factor, with heatwaves disabling power plants and droughts drying up hydro reservoirs.
—Scott Montgomery, Forbes.com, 30 Jan. 2026
In 2019, lawmakers approved a moratorium on new mines to protect the aquifer — and the streams and springs that flow from it — from drying up until further studies can be done.
—Kayla Branch, The Frontier, 12 Jan. 2026
The health of the debt market is in sharp contrast to that of regional stock exchanges, where indices are lagging the US and emerging markets and the flow of IPOs is drying up.
—Dominic Dudley, semafor.com, 30 Dec. 2025
On Saturday, funding for SNAP federal food assistance drying up.
—ABC News, 2 Nov. 2025
Local public health officials have also expressed concerns about funding drying up for WIC, which supports women, infants and children with nutritional assistance and other health services.
—Marina Johnson, Louisville Courier Journal, 30 Oct. 2025
But as water became scarce in the American Southwest, the allocation to Imperial Valley farmers was reduced, overflow stopped, and the Salton Sea started drying up.
—Big Think, 17 Oct. 2025
Once the washing is done, the drying system circulates warm air – 110 °F (43 °C) – through carpet fibers, drying up to 400 sq ft of carpet in around two hours.
—New Atlas, 13 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for drying up
Verb
-
Less sweat-trapping than many synthetic jackets, the Oreus kept me from clamming up while ski-touring in five-degree temps and dissipated sweat quickly when worn after strenuous climbs.—
Kelly Bastone,
Outside,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
And this team is taking a particular delight in shutting up and shutting down their rivals.—
Jon Greenberg,
New York Times,
11 Jan. 2026
-
Sky News is shutting up shop on its dedicated business show after more than a decade.—
Jake Kanter,
Deadline,
18 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
There are a lot of ways to declutter out there—the pile method and the discernment method are two of them, and now, everyone’s hushing their house.—
Quincy Bulin,
Southern Living,
28 Dec. 2025
-
Unfortunately, the austerity and elegance of the downstairs dining room acts as a dampener, hushing the salad’s brashness and sapping much of the fun.—
Helen Rosner,
New Yorker,
14 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
The Softstreme Classic-fit High-rise Joggers have piping down the front that creates a more elevated look, while deep pockets and a comfortable, flat waistband lend themselves to comfort and practicality.—
Merrell Readman,
Travel + Leisure,
5 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Drying up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/drying%20up. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
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