1
as in softens
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 fades
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 dilutes
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 weakens
When the dollar weakens, commodity prices expressed in dollars tend to rise to maintain purchasing power parity for buyers operating in other currencies.
—
Jason Kirsch,
Forbes.com,
2 July 2026
But the corresponding upheaval is still catastrophic for any surrounding planets, which either get swallowed up by the expanding star, or drift into wider orbits as the star’s gravity weakens—some are flung out from the system entirely.
—
Sam MacDonald,
Scientific American,
1 July 2026
Without the match sweetening the deal, the argument for prioritizing retirement contributions over debt payoff weakens somewhat — though the tax deduction on traditional 401(k) contributions still has value.
—
Angelica Leicht,
CBS News,
1 July 2026
When foreign investors pull money out of the country, demand for the rupiah drops, and the currency weakens.
—
Angelica Ang,
Fortune,
22 June 2026
When sunlight weakens, the system cools down and draws less current.
—
New Atlas,
21 June 2026
Tropical Storm Arthur weakens, but flood threat remains Tropical Storm Arthur on Wednesday.
—
David Hickey,
NBC news,
18 June 2026
The screenplay grows more complex and rewarding as the central relationship weakens, effectively forcing Sonya to deal with her exhausting boyfriend (Levon Hawke) and pushing Coley to connect with her father who, for whatever reason, spends a lot of time hand-making turquoise jewelry.
—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
16 June 2026
Jason Kirsch,
Forbes.com,
2 July 2026
But the corresponding upheaval is still catastrophic for any surrounding planets, which either get swallowed up by the expanding star, or drift into wider orbits as the star’s gravity weakens—some are flung out from the system entirely.
—
Sam MacDonald,
Scientific American,
1 July 2026
Without the match sweetening the deal, the argument for prioritizing retirement contributions over debt payoff weakens somewhat — though the tax deduction on traditional 401(k) contributions still has value.
—
Angelica Leicht,
CBS News,
1 July 2026
When foreign investors pull money out of the country, demand for the rupiah drops, and the currency weakens.
—
Angelica Ang,
Fortune,
22 June 2026
When sunlight weakens, the system cools down and draws less current.
—
New Atlas,
21 June 2026
Tropical Storm Arthur weakens, but flood threat remains Tropical Storm Arthur on Wednesday.
—
David Hickey,
NBC news,
18 June 2026
The screenplay grows more complex and rewarding as the central relationship weakens, effectively forcing Sonya to deal with her exhausting boyfriend (Levon Hawke) and pushing Coley to connect with her father who, for whatever reason, spends a lot of time hand-making turquoise jewelry.
—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
16 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for weakens
Verb
-
Autumn softens the vistas along the Ring of Kerry and brings a quieter pace to the historic villages.
-
In a heartbreaking moment, Paula asks why Trevor chose her, and Ashley softens a bit.
Verb
-
But rental business owners like Zhao observed that the rental prices have begun to slide as novelty surrounding these stunt-performing androids fades.
-
But as hope of finding survivors fades and the number of dead continues to climb, many fear the political aftershocks of the disaster may prove nearly as destabilizing as the earthquake itself.
Verb
-
Alphabet went the other way and issued stock, which dilutes existing shareholders but adds no fixed interest bill to meet whether or not the AI bet pays off.
-
Among other changes, the new law dilutes some of the influence the mayor of Chicago has over the executive appointment process at the CTA, which has been led for more than a year by an acting president, Nora Leerhsen.
Verb
-
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.
-
As a result, the tournament typically sags in the middle, as neither comes close to losing.
Verb
-
Tomato Wilt Due To Root-Knot Nematodes Another pest that infects tomato plants below ground is the root-knot nematode.
-
But even with federal legislation prohibiting discrimination, the pernicious virus of bias infects too many institutions.
Verb
-
But too often that has become shorthand for a stodgy and unresponsive sector that fails to respond to customer demand.
-
Standard sonar often fails in shallow waters, while cameras are blinded by shifting sands and the simple distortion of rolling ocean waves.
Verb
-
Data centers are physical assets with long lives, many let to some of the most creditworthy names on earth, and a diversified bond fund thins any single failure to a rounding error.
-
The challenge for Minnesota is that the center market thins out considerably after those two names.
Verb
-
That water supply is not the same water supply that goes toward agriculture, which accounts for a huge portion of the water used in the country, Anisfeld said.
-
Sanders identifies a real free-rider problem, even if his solution goes much too far.
Cite this Entry
“Weakens.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/weakens. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
