shrivels

verb

present tense third-person singular of shrivel
as in evaporates
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

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of shrivels The human heart shrivels away in space, but researchers have found that mini-hearts grown from human stem cells sprout in space significantly faster than in labs on Earth. — Tereza Pultarova, Space.com, 3 May 2026 Drought shrivels the grapes; excessive heat deprives the juice of acidity; too much rain results in rampant mold. — Nicola Twilley, New Yorker, 5 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shrivels
  1. evaporates
  2. drains
  3. dries
  4. collapses
  5. scorches
  6. fades
Verb
  • Scalding criticism evaporates like steam back into an atmosphere that police command.
    — Sophie Landres, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2026
  • The idea of animals as slaves of their instincts or mindless automatons evaporates.
    — J. B. MacKinnon, Harpers Magazine, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of evaporates
Verb
  • Until, suddenly, the life drains from his eyes, sometimes for barely a second, and returning before anyone else in the scene notices.
    — Clayton Davis, Variety, 6 Oct. 2026
  • The all-in-one dock cleans the spinning dual mops with hot water, dries them with warm air to prevent musty smells, and automatically drains and refills the water tank.
    — Juhi Wadia, PC Magazine, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of drains
Verb
  • Laundry dries outside of a home along the northern highway in Cuba.
    — Kate Linthicum, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2026
  • The all-in-one dock cleans the spinning dual mops with hot water, dries them with warm air to prevent musty smells, and automatically drains and refills the water tank.
    — Juhi Wadia, PC Magazine, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of dries
Verb
  • While venues mark minors with stamps and patrons older than 21 with wristbands, industry insiders said enforcement collapses in crowded rooms.
    — Kelsie Cairns, FOXNews.com, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Emmanuel Marre | Belgium | 155 min Cannes Best Screenplay winner A MAN OF HIS TIME stars ANATOMY OF A FALL’s Swann Arlaud as a Vichy civil servant whose faith in government collapses amid collaboration, bureaucracy, and moral surrender.
    — Matthew Carey, Deadline, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of collapses
Verb
  • The city is bracing for triple digit temperatures this week as another heat wave scorches Central and Eastern Europe, driving fears that levels could drop even further.
    — Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 5 Aug. 2026
  • France followed its hottest-ever day with yet more brutal temperatures as a deadly heat wave scorches much of western Europe.
    — Elizabeth Robinson, NBC news, 24 June 2026
Definition of scorches
Verb
  • Community organizations spent decades cultivating wealthy baby boomer donors, and so that connection fades with each generation removed from the original donors.
    — Sydney Lake, Fortune, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Its manganese spins continue fluctuating in preferred directions after long-range magnetic order fades.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of fades

Browse Nearby Words

shriveling
shrivels
shriven
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Cite this Entry

“Shrivels.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shrivels. Accessed 11 Oct. 2026.

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