as in to evaporate
to become small and wrinkly usually as a result of dehydration
Without irrigation, these plants would shrivel (up) and die.
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of shrivel
Catching Up With China As Africa’s economic ties with other nations — principally China — have grown, the importance of its business with the United States has shriveled.
—
Ruth MacLean, New York Times, 27 Dec. 2024
On the lower end of skills and pay, apparel employment shriveled as Southern California garment makers focused on fashion and small quantities, eliminating tens of thousands of manual labor jobs.
—Don Lee, Los Angeles Times, 18 Dec. 2024
This fact is particularly true if the item in question is shriveled, moldy, or smelly.
—Patricia Shannon, Southern Living, 8 Dec. 2024
Yes, if there’s a cold snap, these lovely symbols of wintertime will politely shrivel up as if waiting for a draft to pass.
—Aj Willingham, CNN, 7 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for shrivel
Ruth MacLean, New York Times, 27 Dec. 2024
On the lower end of skills and pay, apparel employment shriveled as Southern California garment makers focused on fashion and small quantities, eliminating tens of thousands of manual labor jobs.
—Don Lee, Los Angeles Times, 18 Dec. 2024
This fact is particularly true if the item in question is shriveled, moldy, or smelly.
—Patricia Shannon, Southern Living, 8 Dec. 2024
Yes, if there’s a cold snap, these lovely symbols of wintertime will politely shrivel up as if waiting for a draft to pass.
—Aj Willingham, CNN, 7 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for shrivel
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shrivel
Verb
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Third, competition evaporates in the face of elections that are largely foregone conclusions.—
Jim Nowlan,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Feb. 2025
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Notably, corporate support for the gala has evaporated.—
Amanda Rosa,
Miami Herald,
26 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Fudd then drained her first 3-pointer after an 0-for-2 start, and Strong followed her up with four straight points off another pair of Marquette turnovers.—
Emily Adams,
Hartford Courant,
2 Mar. 2025
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That fall and winter, constant power outages and air-raid alerts left them drained and on edge.—
Michael Holtz,
The New Yorker,
28 Feb. 2025
Verb
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The budge-proof formula sets quickly, so get blending straight away to ensure the formula dries down to your liking.—
Annie Blackman,
Allure,
7 Mar. 2025
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There’s always an element of chemistry to consider; tannins, which are compounds in wine present in grape seeds, grape skins, and oak barrels, offer a drying or astringent quality on the tongue and gums.—
Mike DeSimone and Jeff Jenssen,
Robb Report,
7 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Death is rarely physically dignified, and visibly withering from old age in front of the entire world is perhaps one of the heaviest crosses a pope must bear.—
Timothy Nerozzi,
Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government,
28 Feb. 2025
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O'Neal explained that her confidence in her acting ability began to wither under Ryan's blistering criticism.—
Ashley Hume,
Fox News,
28 Feb. 2025
Verb
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The incident also scorched a neighboring structure.—
George Avalos,
The Mercury News,
24 Feb. 2025
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According to the Ukrainian Center for Defense Strategies, the blast triggered a blaze that scorched the refinery’s primary oil procession unit.—
David Axe,
Forbes,
24 Feb. 2025
Verb
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More often, husbands or wives or children collapse in tears when the cremains are found.—
David Wharton,
Los Angeles Times,
4 Mar. 2025
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Scanner reports also said a part of a warehouse structure collapsed in the 2500 block of Texas 121 in Lewisville, and roof damage was reported at a warehouse in the 900 block of South Airport Drive in McKinney.—
Harriet Ramos,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
4 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Hal, the true protagonist, is a wilting flower — easily bruised and endlessly bullied, especially by Bill.—
Angelica Jade Bastién,
Vulture,
22 Feb. 2025
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The Kansas City Chiefs wilted trying to protect Patrick Mahomes in the Super Bowl.—
Brad Biggs,
Chicago Tribune,
12 Feb. 2025
Verb
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The blockbuster set, which is still the bestselling project in history, refuses to fade away, consistently finding a home on multiple Billboard charts.—
Hugh McIntyre,
Forbes,
7 Mar. 2025
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The second week My usual redness around my cheeks had started to fade, and the annoying pimple that had been brewing on my cheek seemed to back off without its usual dramatic entrance.—
Larry Stansbury,
Essence,
7 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Shrivel.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shrivel. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.
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