1
as in to soften
to diminish the physical strength of
weeks of hardship in the desert had greatly weakened them
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to fade
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 to dilute
to alter (something) for the worse with the addition of foreign or lower-grade substances
weakened the juice with too much water
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of weaken
The storm will then track northeast over North Carolina and southeastern Virginia before weakening by Sunday afternoon.
—
Adeola Adeosun, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 July 2025
Regular laundry detergents may clean well, but their stronger chemicals can weaken swimwear over time.
—Gabi De La Rosa, Southern Living, 5 July 2025
Israel’s early use of uncrewed weapons systems to weaken Iran’s air defense reduced the monetary and human risks in the event that the initial attack failed and the drones were shot down.
—Michael C. Horowitz, Foreign Affairs, 4 July 2025
The decision by Washington to halt some shipments of critical weapons to Ukraine prompted warnings by Kyiv that the move would weaken its ability to defend against intensifying airstrikes and battlefield advances.
—Pavel Polityuk, USA Today, 4 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for weaken
Adeola Adeosun, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 July 2025
Regular laundry detergents may clean well, but their stronger chemicals can weaken swimwear over time.
—Gabi De La Rosa, Southern Living, 5 July 2025
Israel’s early use of uncrewed weapons systems to weaken Iran’s air defense reduced the monetary and human risks in the event that the initial attack failed and the drones were shot down.
—Michael C. Horowitz, Foreign Affairs, 4 July 2025
The decision by Washington to halt some shipments of critical weapons to Ukraine prompted warnings by Kyiv that the move would weaken its ability to defend against intensifying airstrikes and battlefield advances.
—Pavel Polityuk, USA Today, 4 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for weaken
Recent Examples of Synonyms for weaken
Verb
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On the campaign trail, the president spent time courting faith leaders throughout the country, often refusing to soften his language in those venues as well.—
Lalee Ibssa,
ABC News,
14 July 2025
-
By then, Trump had softened his tariff stance and the markets had rebounded accordingly.—
Kate Plummer,
MSNBC Newsweek,
14 July 2025
Verb
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Sunscreen, chlorine, saltwater, and even rough drying habits can wear down the fabric, leaving colors faded and suits stretched out.—
Gabi De la Rosa,
Southern Living,
5 July 2025
-
The spark seemed to fade, then the extra effort went AWOL.—
Jodie Cook,
Forbes.com,
4 July 2025
Verb
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Such critics are concerned that our approach might dilute the sense of urgency necessary and undermine public messaging.—
Francesco Rubino,
Time,
9 July 2025
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Fill the glass with ice, and repeat with the other glass. 3: Fill a cocktail shaker with ice, stir together the Earl Grey simple syrup, lime juice and smoked paprika until thoroughly chilled and diluted, about 15 seconds.—
The Washington Post,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
9 July 2025
Verb
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Three people were injured after being struck by lightning in a popular summer beach getaway town on Saturday night.—
Peter D'Abrosca,
FOXNews.com,
13 July 2025
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Thirty-nine members of the battalion were killed in October, 1917, and a hundred and thirty-five were injured.—
Ed Caesar,
New Yorker,
13 July 2025
Verb
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Then there’s the reverse extreme: nipple reduction — long, protruding, often sagging nipples that are the consequence of breastfeeding.—
Gary Baum,
HollywoodReporter,
16 June 2025
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The vinyl rain gutter sagged and melted, its plastic material flapping in the wind like a flag, and the window shattered shortly after, letting the flames enter the interior.—
Jack Flemming,
Los Angeles Times,
11 June 2025
Verb
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Investigators said one of the patients, an 18-year-old, likely became infected about six days before his first doctor’s visit when he was bitten by fleas while walking through a prairie dog colony in Navajo County, about 103 miles east of Flagstaff, Arizona.—
Saleen Martin,
USA Today,
11 July 2025
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Season 2 of The Last of Us finds Joel (Pedro Pascal) not only fending off humans infected with the Cordyceps virus, but other survivors seeking revenge on Joel for his past actions.—
Tim Lammers,
Forbes.com,
11 July 2025
Verb
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An estimated 40,000 Americans are treated annually for recurrent pericarditis, a severe and debilitating chronic autoinflammatory disease.—
Beth Warren,
The Tennessean,
2 July 2025
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Campbell was nominated by Austin Palliative Care, which helps people who have debilitating chronic diseases.—
Nicole Villalpando,
Austin American Statesman,
2 July 2025
Verb
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Lin, its inventor, was born in 1895 in southern China during the tail end of a failing Qing dynasty.—
Emily Feng,
NPR,
5 July 2025
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According to court documents obtained by the Charlotte Observer, the office found the commission failed to provide the bar with sufficient notice within five days of a April 30 deadline as required by the new statute before canceling the business’s ABC permits.—
Nora O’Neill
July 5,
Charlotte Observer,
5 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Weaken.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/weaken. Accessed 19 Jul. 2025.
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