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
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2
as in to fade
to lose bodily strength or vigor
if he's left on his own, he'll just wither and die
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Recent Examples of wither
Why did the McDonalds attract such withering criticism?
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John Blake, CNN, 3 Nov. 2024
For one, Trump’s criticism of Amazon (and Bezos) over the years has been withering, even if the administration was personally lucrative for Amazon’s founder.
—Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 31 Oct. 2024
State lawmakers booted the TSU board and upended the university's search for a new president following a series of withering audits that described widespread mismanagement by top administrators.
—Adam Tamburin, Axios, 30 Oct. 2024
The withering vestiges of avant-garde New York—the writers, critics, artists, filmmakers, and dancers who have hung on since its peak—feel a little less vital today without his contempt.
—Daniel Felsenthal, The Atlantic, 29 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for wither 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wither
Verb
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So give it time to fully dry after spot-cleaning stains or spills.Heather Cruickshank, SELF, 23 Nov. 2024
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The fibers need to dry slowly at low temperatures to avoid shrinking.Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 21 Nov. 2024
Verb
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After all, rival technologies don't fade away immediately.Camila Domonoske, NPR, 22 Nov. 2024
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Premium keyboards should have great keys so the Q5 HE has OSA-profile keys made from PBT material which provides superb oil resistance and a more luxurious feel and wear-resistant legends that won’t fade.Mark Sparrow, Forbes, 22 Nov. 2024
Verb
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The Broncos, to put it kindly, have wilted in these spots since Super Bowl 50.Troy Renck, The Denver Post, 2 Nov. 2024
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When her brother died, Yamuna pleaded with the god of death not to take him away until the vermillion on his forehead had faded and the flower garlands had wilted, performing an elaborate ritual to extend her last moments with her sibling.Peter Guo, NBC News, 2 Nov. 2024
Verb
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Such a test would be a sign of China’s weakening influence over Pyongyang and could spur Seoul to try to acquire nuclear weapons of its own—a position that both South Korea and the United States officially oppose but is gaining traction in Western policy circles.Sungmin Cho, Foreign Affairs, 12 Nov. 2024
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With its climate leadership perceived to be weakening, New Zealand may get a cooler reception at COP than in previous years, especially from Pacific Island nations, Cooper said.Mahalia Dobson, NBC News, 10 Nov. 2024
Verb
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After that, throughout the first season, whenever the story started sagging, Sheridan would drop a few more bodies.Noel Murray, Vulture, 18 Nov. 2024
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There are calls for change as attendance for home games starts to sag.Curtis Pashelka, The Mercury News, 16 Nov. 2024
Verb
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What went into both of those, and what did Christopher Guest bring to it in his role as director?Chris Willman, Variety, 23 Nov. 2024
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Make our traditional Old-Fashioned Bread Stuffing, or go a bit more outside the box with our tasty Bourbon-Pecan Stuffing.Emily Williams, Better Homes & Gardens, 23 Nov. 2024
Verb
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And businesses could also lease the land but fail to utilize it.Li Zhou, WIRED, 23 Nov. 2024
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All the remaining works sold; 15 went for prices at or above their high estimate, while 12 sold within estimate and 15 failed to meet their low estimates.Brian Boucher for ArtNews, Robb Report, 23 Nov. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near wither
Cite this Entry
“Wither.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wither. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.
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