shriveled 1 of 2

adjective

variants or shrivelled
as in withered

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shriveled

2 of 2

verb

variants or shrivelled
past tense of shrivel
as in drained
to become small and wrinkly usually as a result of dehydration Without irrigation, these plants would shrivel (up) and die.

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Dissimilar Words

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 shriveled
Adjective
During the final few minutes of cooking, check the corn frequently—even an extra minute or two can make the difference between juicy, tender kernels and dry, shriveled ones. — Olivia McIntosh, Martha Stewart, 4 Aug. 2026 Papayas that are mostly green are not ripe, while those with many soft spots or darker, shriveled skin are overripe or spoiled. — Sherri Gordon, Health, 2 Aug. 2026 Pests Yellowing or shriveled leaves and stunted growth can also be signs of pests. — Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 29 June 2026 New stems can become shriveled and fall off the plant, and whole segments might drop if the plant struggles with depleted soil and a too-small pot. — Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 16 Dec. 2025
Verb
Wild pheasants use it all, and after late November they’ll be concentrated in the heavy cover because crop fields are gleaned and frost will have shriveled a lot of vegetation. — Ron Spomer, Outdoor Life, 19 Aug. 2026 For decades, so much water has been taken that the river seldom meets the sea in Mexico, and its delta, once filled with lush wetlands and forests, has shriveled to stretches of dry riverbed. — Ian James, Los Angeles Times, 21 July 2026 Remove sprouts and avoid potatoes that are soft, shriveled, green, or have long sprouts to stay safe. — Melissa Kravitz Hoeffner, Martha Stewart, 19 July 2026 Avoid berries that are soft or appear mushy or shriveled as these are indications that the fruit is past its prime. — Stacey Lastoe, Southern Living, 14 July 2026 The skin split, the ends were shriveled, and the texture was limp. — Dianna Douglas, NPR, 28 June 2026 Berries that are shriveled, soft, or visibly mushy are likely past their prime and won’t be appetizing. — Jillian Kubala, Health, 30 Apr. 2026 Sales of photography, moving-image work, sculpture, and most conceptual work have shriveled up, except at the very highest levels. — Alex Greenberger, ARTnews.com, 6 Apr. 2026 Desert wildflowers shriveled up early this year due to the historic heat wave, leading to a lackluster sightseeing season and fewer visitors at some state parks. — Ray Stern, AZCentral.com, 27 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shriveled
  1. withered
  2. drained
  3. wizened
  4. dried
  5. gaunt
  6. evaporated
  7. scorched
  8. collapsed
Adjective
  • The neural wiring of the obese mouse, on the right, withered.
    — Cynthia Zarin, Harpers Magazine, 28 July 2026
  • These misshapen and withered figurines—a teddy bear with a candle and a turkey in pointed shoes—looked over at the photos from low plinths in one corner of the gallery.
    — Theo Belci, Artforum, 2 June 2026
Definition of withered
Verb
  • The attackers used the IP addresses to host a smart contract that drained about $235,000 in bitcoin from people trying to visit the Celer Bridge cryptocurrency exchange.
    — Dan Goodin, ArsTechnica, 2 Sep. 2026
  • In France, for example, officials have drained glacier lakes to head off potential flooding, Gagliardini says.
    — Jackie Flynn Mogensen, Scientific American, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of drained
Adjective
  • Few signs of humanity interrupted the rocky shoreline — just a couple of cabins and the wooden railings of a path leading to a wizened cedar tree revered by the tribe.
    — Michael Hawthorne, Chicago Tribune, 23 Aug. 2026
  • His wizened next-door neighbors (Mary Woodvine and Adrian Rawlins) are younger, mistaking him for their son Luke, a former crew member of the Rose of Nevada who died by suicide.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 19 June 2026
Definition of wizened
Verb
  • Pieces must be shaped, dried, fired, glazed, fired again and tested; Przenioslo uses a community kiln and gives herself at least two months to prepare a collection.
    — Pat Mueller, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Those pellets were then placed into moulds and dried, allowing the fungal threads to come together and form a continuous sheet.
    — Maryna Holovnova, New Atlas, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of dried
Adjective
  • Apple was widely criticized in the late 2000s for not volunteering more information about Jobs’ health, especially as concerns about his gaunt appearance battered the company’s shares.
    — Allison Morrow, CNN Money, 2 Sep. 2026
  • As her pregnancy progressed, Kabita’s belly swelled while the rest of her remained gaunt.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of gaunt
Verb
  • With Bhumjaithai in control of both the internal levers of power and parliament, the prospects for progressive constitutional reform evaporated.
    — Duncan McCargo, Foreign Affairs, 24 Aug. 2026
  • The Treasury Department intervened midweek to help, but, by Friday, the relief had evaporated.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 23 Aug. 2026
Definition of evaporated
Verb
  • Other approaches are scorched stretches of concrete begging to become soft, shaded connectors.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 2 Sep. 2026
  • During the 2016 Chimney Fire, which scorched more than 46,000 acres in the Santa Lucia Range, one of the family’s favorite manzanita trees burned black.
    — Kathryn O’Shea-Evans, Robb Report, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of scorched
Verb
  • The only difference is that, after this race, some of the competitors collapsed to the floor with sparks flying from their insides while safety officials charged over to attend to them with fire extinguishers.
    — Sarah Shephard, New York Times, 1 Sep. 2026
  • And since then, the government collapsed, and gang warfare has spread.
    — Dana Taylor, USA Today, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of collapsed

Browse Nearby Words

shrivel
shriveled
shriveling
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Cite this Entry

“Shriveled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shriveled. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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