withered; withering
ˈwit͟h-riŋ,
ˈwi-t͟hə-
1
: to become dry and sapless
especially
: to shrivel from or as if from loss of bodily moisture
2
: to lose vitality, force, or freshness
public support for the bill is withering
1
: to cause to wither
2
: to make speechless or incapable of action : stun
withered him with a look—
Dorothy Sayers
Dorothy SayersExamples of wither in a Sentence
Verb
The plants withered and died.
shortly after the moon landing, interest in the space program withered
Recent Examples on the Web
Benjamin Nathans
september 24, Literary Hub, 24 Sep. 2025
Both quarterbacks faced quality defenses and challenges in their own ways — Herbert with the withering pass rush and Nix with the frustrating Jesse Minter shells that keep everything in front and require a combination of patience and opportunism.
—Parker Gabriel, Denver Post, 22 Sep. 2025
The buds and leaves that emerged in the premature warm weather freeze and wither.
—Leanne Potts, Better Homes & Gardens, 22 Sep. 2025
This lore drop about the legendary warrior-chief is a withering tease for Kōnane, a once-ubiquitous pastime that was carved into stone slabs across the islands, some of which still protrude from the ground.
—Matt Negrin, Rolling Stone, 20 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for wither
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Verb
Khrushchev sought to revive revolutionary elan and push the USSR to the final stage of history, the transition from socialism to communism, during which the state apparatus would finally wither away.
—Benjamin Nathans
september 24, Literary Hub, 24 Sep. 2025
Both quarterbacks faced quality defenses and challenges in their own ways — Herbert with the withering pass rush and Nix with the frustrating Jesse Minter shells that keep everything in front and require a combination of patience and opportunism.
—Parker Gabriel, Denver Post, 22 Sep. 2025
The buds and leaves that emerged in the premature warm weather freeze and wither.
—Leanne Potts, Better Homes & Gardens, 22 Sep. 2025
This lore drop about the legendary warrior-chief is a withering tease for Kōnane, a once-ubiquitous pastime that was carved into stone slabs across the islands, some of which still protrude from the ground.
—Matt Negrin, Rolling Stone, 20 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for wither
Cite this Entry
“Wither.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wither. Accessed 30 Sep. 2025.
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