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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Recent Examples of shrivel
But the ambition of that process quickly shriveled.
—
Joshua Z. Walker, Foreign Affairs, 17 June 2025
Now, the drama arrives onstage as the sources of funding have shriveled up further, and the philanthropoids running these institutions have to dance even harder for their suppers.
—Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 13 June 2025
That doesn’t leave a whole lot of time to shrivel up over the onslaught of hate comments the 33-year-old actor has received over her role as Bronte in the final season of You, which dropped on Netflix on April 24.
—Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 13 May 2025
The financial and consulting sector mushroomed while manufacturing employment shriveled.
—David Brooks, The Mercury News, 9 Nov. 2024
See All Example Sentences for shrivel
Joshua Z. Walker, Foreign Affairs, 17 June 2025
Now, the drama arrives onstage as the sources of funding have shriveled up further, and the philanthropoids running these institutions have to dance even harder for their suppers.
—Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 13 June 2025
That doesn’t leave a whole lot of time to shrivel up over the onslaught of hate comments the 33-year-old actor has received over her role as Bronte in the final season of You, which dropped on Netflix on April 24.
—Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 13 May 2025
The financial and consulting sector mushroomed while manufacturing employment shriveled.
—David Brooks, The Mercury News, 9 Nov. 2024
See All Example Sentences for shrivel
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shrivel
Verb
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That wet phase of Martian history was billions of years ago, however, and all that water has since evaporated away into space or seeped deep underground.—
Phil Plait,
Scientific American,
10 July 2025
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While some of yesterday’s deals have evaporated or sold out, Wednesday is bringing a fresh slate of finds.—
Jake Henry Smith,
Glamour,
9 July 2025
Verb
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Several of Yazan’s four older siblings also looked thin and drained.—
Wafaa Shurafa,
Chicago Tribune,
25 July 2025
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The answer is to stop dating men who drain your brilliance, and to start dating as the woman who chooses herself first.—
Ximena Araya-Fischel,
Forbes.com,
25 July 2025
Verb
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The once muddy plot was dried and raked, and white folding chairs stood in rows.—
Lily Kepner,
Austin American Statesman,
30 July 2025
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Wash and dry the flowers, and use your fingers to break them up into separate florets.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
30 July 2025
Verb
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Overall, 83 percent of parents said that their households are in similar or worse financial situation than last year and more than half of those surveyed anticipate the economy to continue to wither within the next six months.—
Kanika Talwar,
Footwear News,
10 July 2025
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Joint projects that Europe has already funded may wither.—
Joshua Yaffa,
New Yorker,
24 June 2025
Verb
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Here are the main takeaways from today’s on-track action in Hungary: Lando Norris set the pace in FP1, with a scorching 1:16.052 on the soft tires, ahead of Oscar Piastri by 0.019 seconds and 0.217 seconds clear of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc.—
Alex Kalinauckas,
New York Times,
1 Aug. 2025
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But estimates say the Dragon Bravo Fire has scorched 71,000 acres and is only 9% contained, Inciweb reported.—
Michelle Cruz,
AZCentral.com,
29 July 2025
Verb
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The episode ended with a deep-fake public service announcement that showed Trump walking through the desert, taking off his clothes and collapsing nude in the sand.—
Christine Ricciardi,
Chicago Tribune,
25 July 2025
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Just two weeks after collapsing twice during the opening round of the Amundi Evian Championship, Hull returned this week to compete at the ISPS HANDA Women's Scottish Open.—
Devlina Sarkar,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 July 2025
Verb
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The larvae chew holes in the stems, causing the plant to wilt suddenly and die.—
Arricca Elin SanSone,
Southern Living,
31 July 2025
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One of the earliest signs of MOB activity is a single branch that wilts or drops leaves while the rest of the tree looks fine.—
James Campbell,
Mercury News,
28 July 2025
Verb
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Just after the clock struck midnight as Thursday night faded into Friday morning, the Texas House morphed into something of a graveyard.—
John C. Moritz,
Austin American Statesman,
30 July 2025
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As teams like the Tampa Bay Rays and Cleveland Guardians have faded, the Rangers have surged.—
Sam Blum,
New York Times,
29 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Shrivel.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shrivel. Accessed 6 Aug. 2025.
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