as in to evaporate
to become small and wrinkly usually as a result of dehydration
Without irrigation, these plants would shrivel (up) and die.
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of shrivel
Yes, if there’s a cold snap, these lovely symbols of wintertime will politely shrivel up as if waiting for a draft to pass.
—
Aj Willingham, CNN, 7 Dec. 2024
Her makeup had lots of wrinkles, and her body was shriveled up in her post.
—Stephanie Giang-Paunon, Fox News, 31 Oct. 2024
Citrus farmers are also seeing their famous Sicilian oranges shrivelling on their trees from lack of water.
—Barbie Latza Nadeau, CNN, 6 July 2024
The Mountain fire had scorched some of the fruit, leaving it shriveled or in ashes.
—Cindy Carcamo, Los Angeles Times, 20 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for shrivel 
Aj Willingham, CNN, 7 Dec. 2024
Her makeup had lots of wrinkles, and her body was shriveled up in her post.
—Stephanie Giang-Paunon, Fox News, 31 Oct. 2024
Citrus farmers are also seeing their famous Sicilian oranges shrivelling on their trees from lack of water.
—Barbie Latza Nadeau, CNN, 6 July 2024
The Mountain fire had scorched some of the fruit, leaving it shriveled or in ashes.
—Cindy Carcamo, Los Angeles Times, 20 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for shrivel
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shrivel
Verb
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But at the same turn, those moments are always on the verge of evaporating or going down in flames.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
26 Jan. 2025
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Campaigning abruptly halted, and the usual calendar of awards-season events evaporated.—
Michael Schulman,
The New Yorker,
22 Jan. 2025
Verb
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The result is a graceful character study that explores why someone’s capacity for warmth seems to have long been drained.—
Shirley Li,
The Atlantic,
24 Jan. 2025
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During her post-surgery recovery, simple tasks like bending over became incredibly difficult, leaving her feeling both physically and emotionally drained.—
Cheryl Robinson,
Forbes,
24 Jan. 2025
Verb
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My swimsuit hangs limp over the edge, drying in the warm embrace of the Salvadoran sun.—
Natalie Stoclet,
Forbes,
18 Jan. 2025
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Every two years or so, the entire structure is caked with a fresh layer of banco: a muddy mixture of water, soil, and straw that dries in open air.—
Guy Peterson,
The Christian Science Monitor,
17 Jan. 2025
Verb
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His ailments became so notorious that Andy Roddick mocked him in a withering attack ahead of their U.S. Open quarterfinal in 2008, suggesting that some of his injuries were not genuine.—
Charlie Eccleshare,
The Athletic,
24 Jan. 2025
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Davis, who died in 2022, was best known for his sprawling 1990 best seller, City of Quartz, a withering analysis of Los Angeles’s development.—
Carolina A. Miranda,
The Atlantic,
22 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Roughly 40,500 acres, much of which is made up of the acres scorched in the Palisades Fire (23,713) and the Eaton Fire (14,021), according to Cal Fire.—
Antonio Pequeño IV,
Forbes,
21 Jan. 2025
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The fire scorched three acres and is threatening structures, according to officials. Zones 1894-A,1975-B and 1895 are under mandatory evacuation, according to the city.—
Alexandra Koch,
Fox News,
21 Jan. 2025
Verb
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According to a 2021 Government Accountability Office report, collapsing the D.C. office drove out the agency’s most experienced employees and more than doubled the number of vacancies.—
Frederick Reimers,
Outside Online,
27 Jan. 2025
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Because several portions of the building had collapsed, firefighters were attempting to subdue the blaze from outside, Baltimore County Fire Department Cpt.—
Todd Karpovich,
Baltimore Sun,
25 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Massage greens-and-vinegar mixture with clean hands until greens are wilted and softened, 1 to 2 minutes.—
Liz Mervosh,
Southern Living,
7 Jan. 2025
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But, as the months dragged on, Freeman’s hopes began to wilt.—
Katy Waldman,
The New Yorker,
6 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Sunlight had begun to fade, casting a shadow on the space.—
Colleen Shalby,
Los Angeles Times,
18 Jan. 2025
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Saturn, nearby, will become visible to the naked eye as dusk fades to darkness and remain observable for around three-and-a-half hours past sunset, at which point the pair will sink below the horizon and out of view.—
Samantha Mathewson,
Space.com,
17 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near shrivel
Cite this Entry
“Shrivel.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shrivel. Accessed 1 Feb. 2025.
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