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
In general, brain rot can also refer to surrealist content created to entertain people whose attention spans have presumably withered away thanks to time spent scrolling, or to a state of general onlineness that has rewired one’s mind.
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Kaitlyn Tiffany, The Atlantic, 13 Jan. 2025
Huge stands of the Phragmites reeds, which cover more than 28,000 hectares of the Bird’s Foot, began to wither and die.
—Bywarren Cornwall, science.org, 9 Jan. 2025
Her letter, which was followed up by a social media post, was withering in making the case that Kennedy was unfit for the role and personal in detailing his struggles with drug addiction.
—Ted Johnson, Deadline, 28 Jan. 2025
Marriages wither if no effort is made to nurture them.
—Jeanne Phillips, The Mercury News, 26 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for wither
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wither
Verb
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Unlike many other correctors, which can be drying, this one is especially hydrating, thanks to a blend of botanicals.—
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Once harvested, these humble beans are dried, roasted, and processed into something beloved worldwide.—
Verb
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The resin material looks like solid wood but won’t fade in the sun or require repainting.—
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The young designer with Nigerian-Indian origins has incorporated files and documents into T-shirts, and has used a fading method on some of the pieces and inserted pieces of gold embroidery onto the shirts and dresses.—
Verb
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As the character loses his sanity, his off-white robe begins to wilt, becoming threadlike and soiled.—
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But Reese didn’t wilt against the Indiana big men combo of Oumar Ballo and Malik Reneau.—
Verb
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In the bond market, Treasury yields fell after a report said sales at U.S. retailers weakened by much more last month than economists expected.—
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His executive order, unless reversed by the courts, will encourage greater corruption in Latin America, hurting the region’s economies, weakening democratic institutions and making countries poorer.—
Verb
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Golden State dared Houston to shoot jumpers, mixing in zones and sagging off their shooters to negate the young Rockets’ elite athletes.—
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When hotel staff noticed that fronds on the trees were starting to sag, an arborist was brought in to diagnose the problem.—
Verb
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This goes for the show's host, Kevin O'Connor, and its core cast of experts — Tom Silva, Richard Trethewey and Jenn Nawada — and for members of production who are behind the scenes.—
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The Vatican said in a statement on Monday morning that for Francis, the night had gone well.—
Verb
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The Oilers failed to shut down Michkov, though, who had his second career 3-point effort and could be rejuvenated for the stretch run.—
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Beginning of the conflict On Jan. 10, while the flames were still raging out of control, Crowley gave an extraordinary television interview, telling a Fox 11 reporter that the city of Los Angeles — and by implication her boss, Bass — failed her and her department.—
Cite this Entry
“Wither.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wither. Accessed 27 Feb. 2025.
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