1
as in to dry
to lose liveliness, force, or freshness
shortly after the moon landing, interest in the space program withered the old man seemed to wither suddenly upon turning 80
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to fade
to lose bodily strength or vigor
if he's left on his own, he'll just wither and die
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 wither
If the mercury is going to hit 100 degrees and wind is picking up — and in previous years that led to withering flowers — that will guide the prediction.
—
Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 26 Mar. 2026
The Navy effectively stopped building ships at the close of the cold war and the sophisticated industrial base supporting ship construction – both the skilled workforce and the supply chain – withered for more than a generation.
—Edmund H. Mahony, Hartford Courant, 23 Mar. 2026
The Wolverines withered in being outscored 39-17 over the final 12 minutes.
—ABC News, 23 Mar. 2026
Instead, left under the most punishing economic sanctions Cubans have known in their lives, the island may slowly wither and die.
—Patrick Oppmann, CNN Money, 22 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for wither
Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 26 Mar. 2026
The Navy effectively stopped building ships at the close of the cold war and the sophisticated industrial base supporting ship construction – both the skilled workforce and the supply chain – withered for more than a generation.
—Edmund H. Mahony, Hartford Courant, 23 Mar. 2026
The Wolverines withered in being outscored 39-17 over the final 12 minutes.
—ABC News, 23 Mar. 2026
Instead, left under the most punishing economic sanctions Cubans have known in their lives, the island may slowly wither and die.
—Patrick Oppmann, CNN Money, 22 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for wither
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wither
Verb
-
The results could one day help mitigate the problem of toxic dust spewing from the drying lake bed onto Salt Lake City—the Great Salt Lake’s bed is laced with arsenic, a toxic substance that, when people are exposed to it as dust, may cause cancers, respiratory problems and heart disease.—
Jackie Flynn Mogensen,
Scientific American,
31 Mar. 2026
-
Alcohol can be stinging and drying to the skin.—
BestReviews,
Chicago Tribune,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The leader of the Ex-Slave Pension Association was later imprisoned on mail fraud charges, and the organization faded away, while the Eagles became one of the pressure groups that eventually led to Social Security.—
Trevor Jackson,
The New York Review of Books,
4 Apr. 2026
-
Pensions faded, and a new system of 401(k) retirement savings rewarded Americans for working longer.—
Daniel de Visé,
USA Today,
4 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
In summer, water daily to keep the soil moist so plants don’t wilt.—
Nan Sterman,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
4 Apr. 2026
-
The high that day ended up being unseasonably warm at 85°F, so by the afternoon, the hydrangeas had wilted completely.—
Tessa Cooper,
Southern Living,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
But the president contends there is no excuse for the lack of participation now that Iran's navy has been sunk and its air defenses severely weakened.—
Michael Loria,
USA Today,
31 Mar. 2026
-
In the state’s view, that weakens or muddies the legal boundary between the two types of gambling venues.—
Amanda Greenwood,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
While lightweight sleepers may not notice much impact, heavier sleepers will likely find their mattresses sag more quickly.—
Sharon Brandwein,
USA Today,
3 Apr. 2026
-
Wrinkles, sun spots and sagging skin have become so demonized, that even teenagers — decades away from this reality — and increasingly men, previously exempt from this ruinous beauty standard, have started to fear, anticipate and prepare for their arrival.—
Leah Dolan,
CNN Money,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Could a straighter road make cars go faster?—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
30 Mar. 2026
-
To meet his growing costs, Meraj had increased the price of a cup of tea from ten rupees to fifteen, a fifty-per-cent rise (in New York terms, like a cup of drip coffee going from just shy of four dollars to nearly six overnight).—
Nathan Heller,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
In the video, Woods can be seen wearing a blue polo shirt and leaning against the patrol car while failing the sobriety tests.—
Alaa Elassar,
CNN Money,
3 Apr. 2026
-
In other words, when a job requires multiple steps, creativity, or precision, AI replacements are more likely to fail than succeed.—
Tristan Bove,
Fortune,
3 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Wither.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wither. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
