as in deterioration
a gradual sinking and wasting away of mind or body
the all-too-apparent weakening of our grandfather was hard on our mother
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in draining
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Dissimilar Words
1
as in softening
to diminish the physical strength of
weeks of hardship in the desert had greatly weakened them
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in fading
to lose bodily strength or vigor
the bodybuilder weakened once she eased off on her workouts
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in diluting
to alter (something) for the worse with the addition of foreign or lower-grade substances
weakened the juice with too much water
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of weakening
Priyanka Salve, CNBC, 24 Mar. 2026
Another displacement or weakening of the polar vortex is underway, which can allow bursts of Arctic air to spill into the Midwest and Northeast at times, according to AccuWeather lead long-range meteorologist Paul Pastelok.
—Doyle Rice, USA Today, 12 Mar. 2026
This led to a 34-day war, the loss of 1,000 civilian lives, the weakening of Lebanon’s economy and significant damages to its infrastructure.
—Mireille Rebeiz, The Conversation, 4 Mar. 2026
The state is seeing a weakening of its oil industry, and increasing challenges for its refineries to remain open due to environmental concerns, according to a Daily Breeze report on Monday, March 2.
—Pat Maio, Oc Register, 3 Mar. 2026
But independent decisions the groups have made so far to stay clear of the conflict are a sign of the overall weakening of Iran’s network.
—Adam Geller, Fortune, 2 Mar. 2026
But independent decisions the groups have made so far to stay clear of the conflict are a sign of the overall weakening of Iran's network.
—ABC News, 2 Mar. 2026
This weakening warms the usually cooler central and eastern sides of the ocean, altering rainfall over the equatorial Pacific and wind patterns around the world.
—CBS News, 2 Mar. 2026
At that point, governments and industry execs were not yet backtracking, weakening regulations, re-engining trucks, canceling battery deals or bringing back big, thirsty V8s.
—New Atlas, 23 Feb. 2026
Joe Hardy, Boston Herald, 28 Mar. 2026
However, rejecting the goal of citizenship verification altogether risks weakening public confidence in the system.
—Dp Opinion, Denver Post, 28 Mar. 2026
Turkey’s energy import bill is climbing at a time when the economy is already under strain from rising borrowing costs and weakening currency value.
—Ezgi Canpolat, The Conversation, 27 Mar. 2026
Any strength could relieve investors who worry about a weakening growth outlook.
—Sarah Min, CNBC, 27 Mar. 2026
Ultimately, a lack of Democratic support for weakening the filibuster prevented them from passing that legislation, but Republicans were also vehemently opposed and leaned on arguments about protecting states’ rights.
—David Sivak, The Washington Examiner, 26 Mar. 2026
Higher mortgage rates due to the conflict in Iran and a weakening job market are making buyers more cautious, real estate experts told CNN.
—Samantha Delouya, CNN Money, 26 Mar. 2026
The aims have ranged from weakening Iran's nuclear program, missile program and support for armed proxies to enabling the Iranian people to overthrow the theocracy.
—Arkansas Online, 23 Mar. 2026
This late evening wave of storms will have the potential to be strong to severe, but overall trends should favor weakening as the cold front outpaces it.
—Trey Fulbright, CBS News, 22 Mar. 2026
Noun
Higher energy prices are also expected to widen India’s current account deficit, which has contributed to a weakening of the local currency, with the rupee touching record lows in recent days.
—Priyanka Salve, CNBC, 24 Mar. 2026
Another displacement or weakening of the polar vortex is underway, which can allow bursts of Arctic air to spill into the Midwest and Northeast at times, according to AccuWeather lead long-range meteorologist Paul Pastelok.
—Doyle Rice, USA Today, 12 Mar. 2026
This led to a 34-day war, the loss of 1,000 civilian lives, the weakening of Lebanon’s economy and significant damages to its infrastructure.
—Mireille Rebeiz, The Conversation, 4 Mar. 2026
The state is seeing a weakening of its oil industry, and increasing challenges for its refineries to remain open due to environmental concerns, according to a Daily Breeze report on Monday, March 2.
—Pat Maio, Oc Register, 3 Mar. 2026
But independent decisions the groups have made so far to stay clear of the conflict are a sign of the overall weakening of Iran’s network.
—Adam Geller, Fortune, 2 Mar. 2026
But independent decisions the groups have made so far to stay clear of the conflict are a sign of the overall weakening of Iran's network.
—ABC News, 2 Mar. 2026
This weakening warms the usually cooler central and eastern sides of the ocean, altering rainfall over the equatorial Pacific and wind patterns around the world.
—CBS News, 2 Mar. 2026
At that point, governments and industry execs were not yet backtracking, weakening regulations, re-engining trucks, canceling battery deals or bringing back big, thirsty V8s.
—New Atlas, 23 Feb. 2026
Verb
Seniors are the most reliable midterm voters in the country, and with the 2026 elections approaching and affordability already their top concern, weakening this program is a risk Republicans should not be taking.
—Joe Hardy, Boston Herald, 28 Mar. 2026
However, rejecting the goal of citizenship verification altogether risks weakening public confidence in the system.
—Dp Opinion, Denver Post, 28 Mar. 2026
Turkey’s energy import bill is climbing at a time when the economy is already under strain from rising borrowing costs and weakening currency value.
—Ezgi Canpolat, The Conversation, 27 Mar. 2026
Any strength could relieve investors who worry about a weakening growth outlook.
—Sarah Min, CNBC, 27 Mar. 2026
Ultimately, a lack of Democratic support for weakening the filibuster prevented them from passing that legislation, but Republicans were also vehemently opposed and leaned on arguments about protecting states’ rights.
—David Sivak, The Washington Examiner, 26 Mar. 2026
Higher mortgage rates due to the conflict in Iran and a weakening job market are making buyers more cautious, real estate experts told CNN.
—Samantha Delouya, CNN Money, 26 Mar. 2026
The aims have ranged from weakening Iran's nuclear program, missile program and support for armed proxies to enabling the Iranian people to overthrow the theocracy.
—Arkansas Online, 23 Mar. 2026
This late evening wave of storms will have the potential to be strong to severe, but overall trends should favor weakening as the cold front outpaces it.
—Trey Fulbright, CBS News, 22 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for weakening
Noun
-
Built in 1948, the bridge is not as old as others in the city, but the concrete is in bad condition as a result of years of deterioration and weather, said Keith Echternach, DPW program manager of Bridge Design.—
Alysa Guffey,
IndyStar,
1 Apr. 2026
-
Years of economic deterioration have tipped into something more acute.—
Thomas E. Franklin,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Long periods of socializing, like a weeklong conference, can feel far more draining than shorter events.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
28 Oct. 2025
-
By aligning strategic work with those rhythms, productivity can feel more natural and less draining.—
Matthew Kayser,
USA Today,
28 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
On the other hand, taupe bags work just as well with bold color pairings, softening them with a sense of ease.—
Minty Mellon,
Vogue,
31 Mar. 2026
-
So far lawmakers haven’t, slowing, softening and then shooting down a bipartisan measure that would have enlisted the state Department of Agriculture to take on the burgeoning pest.—
Mark Dee
March 31,
Idaho Statesman,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Hamlin led 292 of the first 317 laps, but a caution for debris on the racetrack with 89 laps to go came out at the perfect time for Elliott, who was fading rapidly on older tires.—
Jordan Bianchi,
New York Times,
30 Mar. 2026
-
Blooper reels, once common in comedy films, are fading from cinema partly due to the rise of dramatic post-credit epilogues and the shift from DVDs to streaming platforms, experts say.—
Brittney Melton,
NPR,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
However, hyponatremia, a condition that results from drinking too much water and effectively diluting the sodium content of your blood, can actually be far more dangerous.—
Brad Stulberg,
Outside,
26 Mar. 2026
-
The challenge lies in tailoring your tone without diluting the mission or fragmenting the brand.—
Rolling Stone Culture Council,
Rolling Stone,
11 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Living with long COVID Long COVID is often very debilitating, Walkes said.—
Nicole Villalpando,
Austin American Statesman,
15 Mar. 2026
-
Worries are worsening that the war could block the production of oil in the Persian Gulf for a long time and cause a debilitating surge of inflation for the global economy.—
Stan Choe,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
First-year manager Craig Stammen is wasting little time getting his bench players into the starting lineup.—
Jeff Sanders,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
27 Mar. 2026
-
Shares of Sarepta rose more than 20% in early trading Wednesday after the company presented preliminary data on a pair of treatments for rare, muscle-wasting diseases.—
Damian Garde,
STAT,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Wrinkles, sun spots and sagging skin have become so demonized, that even teenagers — decades away from this reality — and increasingly men, previously exempt from this ruinous beauty standard, have started to fear, anticipate and prepare for their arrival.—
Leah Dolan,
CNN Money,
2 Apr. 2026
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When Nordstrom went private last year, the move was seen by industry analysts as a way to let the founding family make the changes needed to rejuvenate its sagging department store business without being hemmed in by Wall Street’s short-term focus on profits.—
Phil Wahba,
Fortune,
31 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Weakening.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/weakening. Accessed 4 Apr. 2026.
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