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 SayersSynonyms
Examples 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 WebChristopher Goffard, Los Angeles Times, 8 May 2024
Similar hearings led last year to the high-profile resignations of the Harvard and University of Pennsylvania presidents and, more recently, to withering criticism aimed at Columbia’s president.
—Kurt Streeter, New York Times, 7 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for wither 
Verb
Lawmakers also limited the information the DMV could legally release, a measure whose usefulness has since withered.
—Christopher Goffard, Los Angeles Times, 8 May 2024
Similar hearings led last year to the high-profile resignations of the Harvard and University of Pennsylvania presidents and, more recently, to withering criticism aimed at Columbia’s president.
—Kurt Streeter, New York Times, 7 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for wither
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'wither.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Wither.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wither. Accessed 10 May. 2024.
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