dry up

verb

dried up; drying up; dries up

transitive verb

: to cut off the supply of

intransitive verb

1

: to disappear as if by evaporation, draining, or cutting off of a source of supply

2

: to wither or die through gradual loss of vitality

3

: to stop talking

Synonyms

• belt up [British]
• clam up
• dummy up
• hush
• pipe down
• quiet (down)
• shut up

Examples of dry up in a Sentence

sick of her constant complaining, he angrily told her to dry up

Recent Examples on the Web

Dandelion leaves and crabgrass were visibly affected within hours of application and dried up within 48 hours. —Kate Puhala, Better Homes & Gardens, 22 Sep. 2024

His barley and wheat dried up, forcing him to purchase animal feed for his flock. —Erika Page, The Christian Science Monitor, 20 Sep. 2024

Some more recent Haitian arrivals to the US had been living for years in South America but left the region when job opportunities dried up. —Catherine E. Shoichet, CNN, 19 Sep. 2024

Since movie roles dried up for both, Arnaz was on the road with his Desi Arnaz Orchestra while Ball jumped from B-movies to radio. —Raj Tawney, Smithsonian Magazine, 18 Sep. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense