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
Related Words
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
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of weakening
Doyle Rice, USA Today, 30 Apr. 2026
The legislation, which will be challenged in court, indicates a weakening of Lula’s position in Congress ahead of his bid for reelection in the country’s October presidential election.
—ABC News, 30 Apr. 2026
Isolation leads to inbreeding, genetic weakening and eventual population collapse.
—CBS News, 27 Apr. 2026
It is anticipated that supervisors will attempt to pull the wool over the eyes of voters, by pretending this measure is a new implementation of term limits instead of a weakening of term limits.
—John Franklin, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Apr. 2026
Meanwhile, Democrats took the opportunity to grill Kennedy on the upsurge in vaccine-preventable diseases, such as measles, under his watch and the weakening of the childhood vaccine schedule.
—Will Stone, NPR, 16 Apr. 2026
The fact that weakening was observed at all four locations is significant, said Shane Elipot, a physical oceanographer at the University of Miami and a report author.
—Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 16 Apr. 2026
Media consolidation has accelerated the disappearance of the mid-budget film, the erosion of independent distribution, the collapse of the international sales market, the elimination of meaningful profit participation, and the weakening of screen credit integrity.
—Matt Grobar, Deadline, 15 Apr. 2026
Media consolidation has accelerated the disappearance of the mid-budget film, the erosion of independent distribution, the collapse of the international sales market, the elimination of meaningful profit participation, and the weakening of screen credit integrity.
—Alex Weprin, HollywoodReporter, 13 Apr. 2026
Madeline Buiano, Martha Stewart, 26 Apr. 2026
Muscle loss and bone weakening Numerous studies have documented that rapid weight loss from Ozempic and other medications can cause significant muscle loss, especially in people who don’t increase their protein intake.
—Cindy Krischer Goodman, Sun Sentinel, 25 Apr. 2026
The pregnancy was further complicated by Shiver's diagnosis with Pompe disease, a serious muscle-weakening condition, her attorney told NBC News on Friday.
—David K. Li, NBC news, 24 Apr. 2026
The Charter encourages limits on digital rights management, broad provisions for public access to information, and weakening database protections.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 24 Apr. 2026
However, Lewis said events like marathons can pose additional challenges, with large crowds putting pressure on mobile networks and potentially weakening signal, which in turn can affect how reliably the glasses deliver real time information.
—ABC News, 24 Apr. 2026
So there's been a couple of pointers in climate models or in previous studies that have indicated that the system of currents might be weakening.
—Dana Taylor, USA Today, 23 Apr. 2026
Indeed, the author points to Great Britain as an example of a nation triggering the limit at various points in time without weakening its geopolitical standing.
—Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 23 Apr. 2026
Moisture can lead to weakening the tree or shrub's protective layer and create an environment for fungal growth, rot, or disease, says Putnam.
—Lauren David, Southern Living, 17 Apr. 2026
Noun
Also, the evidence points to a weakening of the AMOC, but not a complete collapse.
—Doyle Rice, USA Today, 30 Apr. 2026
The legislation, which will be challenged in court, indicates a weakening of Lula’s position in Congress ahead of his bid for reelection in the country’s October presidential election.
—ABC News, 30 Apr. 2026
Isolation leads to inbreeding, genetic weakening and eventual population collapse.
—CBS News, 27 Apr. 2026
It is anticipated that supervisors will attempt to pull the wool over the eyes of voters, by pretending this measure is a new implementation of term limits instead of a weakening of term limits.
—John Franklin, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Apr. 2026
Meanwhile, Democrats took the opportunity to grill Kennedy on the upsurge in vaccine-preventable diseases, such as measles, under his watch and the weakening of the childhood vaccine schedule.
—Will Stone, NPR, 16 Apr. 2026
The fact that weakening was observed at all four locations is significant, said Shane Elipot, a physical oceanographer at the University of Miami and a report author.
—Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 16 Apr. 2026
Media consolidation has accelerated the disappearance of the mid-budget film, the erosion of independent distribution, the collapse of the international sales market, the elimination of meaningful profit participation, and the weakening of screen credit integrity.
—Matt Grobar, Deadline, 15 Apr. 2026
Media consolidation has accelerated the disappearance of the mid-budget film, the erosion of independent distribution, the collapse of the international sales market, the elimination of meaningful profit participation, and the weakening of screen credit integrity.
—Alex Weprin, HollywoodReporter, 13 Apr. 2026
Verb
Natural Ways to Get Rid of Onion Grass These invasive weeds are fast-growing and rob your grass of water, nutrients, and sunlight, weakening your garden over time, says Brian Feldman, senior director of technical operations at TruGreen.
—Madeline Buiano, Martha Stewart, 26 Apr. 2026
Muscle loss and bone weakening Numerous studies have documented that rapid weight loss from Ozempic and other medications can cause significant muscle loss, especially in people who don’t increase their protein intake.
—Cindy Krischer Goodman, Sun Sentinel, 25 Apr. 2026
The pregnancy was further complicated by Shiver's diagnosis with Pompe disease, a serious muscle-weakening condition, her attorney told NBC News on Friday.
—David K. Li, NBC news, 24 Apr. 2026
The Charter encourages limits on digital rights management, broad provisions for public access to information, and weakening database protections.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 24 Apr. 2026
However, Lewis said events like marathons can pose additional challenges, with large crowds putting pressure on mobile networks and potentially weakening signal, which in turn can affect how reliably the glasses deliver real time information.
—ABC News, 24 Apr. 2026
So there's been a couple of pointers in climate models or in previous studies that have indicated that the system of currents might be weakening.
—Dana Taylor, USA Today, 23 Apr. 2026
Indeed, the author points to Great Britain as an example of a nation triggering the limit at various points in time without weakening its geopolitical standing.
—Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 23 Apr. 2026
Moisture can lead to weakening the tree or shrub's protective layer and create an environment for fungal growth, rot, or disease, says Putnam.
—Lauren David, Southern Living, 17 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for weakening
Noun
-
Over the last decade, the parish began to lose these buildings to age, mold and deterioration.—
Desiree Mathurin
April 28,
Charlotte Observer,
28 Apr. 2026
-
The Swiss Eugen Bleuler, a follower of Kraepelin, replaced the term dementia praecox, which implied hopeless deterioration, with the softer term schizophrenia.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 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
-
After a decade of animosity, opinion polls show Americans’ views of China are softening, especially among the young.—
Andy Browne,
semafor.com,
28 Apr. 2026
-
With hindsight perhaps softening memories of sunstroke, cast members and a number of below-the-line crew now fairly rhapsodize about the uniqueness of the shoot.—
Chris Lee,
Vulture,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Meanwhile, commercial-only business districts are fading.—
Caitlin McGlade,
Charlotte Observer,
27 Apr. 2026
-
Dust and pollen are quicker to reveal themselves, and wear becomes apparent faster as dark colors are more prone to fading.—
Marisa Suzanne Martin,
The Spruce,
26 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Deter bees from soaking up the nectar by diluting the blend, mixing it with more water than sugar.—
Blythe Copeland,
Martha Stewart,
15 Apr. 2026
-
What’s more, the suit alleges that management and company affiliates enriched themselves — through operating fees, development fees, property-management and leasing fees, reimbursements and insider-favoring transactions — while diluting investor equity.—
Jennifer Van Grove,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
8 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Cobain had struggled for years with depression, substance abuse issues and a debilitating, unexplained stomach ailment.—
Nicole Briese,
PEOPLE,
8 Apr. 2026
-
Living with long COVID Long COVID is often very debilitating, Walkes said.—
Nicole Villalpando,
Austin American Statesman,
15 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
There is only an outdated technicality that forces grocery stores to heat chickens and cool them back down just to comply, wasting energy, degrading quality, and adding cost.—
Kelly McCarthy,
ABC News,
23 Apr. 2026
-
Rosenior’s pre-game decision to switch to a back three only seemed to further unsettle his out-of-form side, with Brighton creating — and wasting — numerous other high-quality chances.—
Liam Twomey,
New York Times,
21 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The front glass had been blown out, a support beam knocked askew and ceiling panels sagging inside.—
Tammy Ljungblad,
Kansas City Star,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Johnson became the club’s sixth man midway through the 2023-24 campaign when then-coach Gregg Popovich moved him to the bench hoping the the high-energy 29th overall pick of the 2019 draft would energize a sagging second unit.—
Tom Orsborn,
San Antonio Express-News,
22 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Weakening.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/weakening. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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