as in to weaken
to lose bodily strength or vigor
without adequate medical supplies, doctors could only look on helplessly as cholera victims continued to emaciate
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Recent Examples of emaciate
At barely five pounds, Matilda was emaciated and clinging to life when the Monmouth County Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals took her in.
—
Kathleen Hopkins, USA TODAY, 30 May 2023
Six dead giraffes, bodies emaciated from the lack of food and water, photographed by Ed Ram, show the horror of Kenya’s prolonged ongoing drought, which has threatened and displaced animals and humans alike.
—Nell Lewis, CNN, 29 Mar. 2023
Past herds of cows wandering through busy settlements along the highway in search of water, so emaciated their ribs were showing.
—Jada Yuan, Washington Post, 24 Feb. 2023
Many were emaciated, unlike the examples in the current study.
—Joshua Sokol, New York Times, 25 Feb. 2020
Three of them were severely malnourished and the rest were emaciated, according to the Sheriff's Office.
—James Carr, azcentral, 21 Feb. 2020
Detectives noted that much of the food in the home was locked away and that James' body was emaciated when found.
—Sarah Sarder, Houston Chronicle, 18 Feb. 2020
Scores of common murres, one of the most prolific seabirds, washed up on beaches, and many were emaciated, the researchers said.
—oregonlive, 21 Jan. 2020
The 6-month-old calico and her sibling were found to be emaciated, with low body temperatures and stomach issues.
—Arizona Republic, azcentral, 22 Nov. 2019
Kathleen Hopkins, USA TODAY, 30 May 2023
Six dead giraffes, bodies emaciated from the lack of food and water, photographed by Ed Ram, show the horror of Kenya’s prolonged ongoing drought, which has threatened and displaced animals and humans alike.
—Nell Lewis, CNN, 29 Mar. 2023
Past herds of cows wandering through busy settlements along the highway in search of water, so emaciated their ribs were showing.
—Jada Yuan, Washington Post, 24 Feb. 2023
Many were emaciated, unlike the examples in the current study.
—Joshua Sokol, New York Times, 25 Feb. 2020
Three of them were severely malnourished and the rest were emaciated, according to the Sheriff's Office.
—James Carr, azcentral, 21 Feb. 2020
Detectives noted that much of the food in the home was locked away and that James' body was emaciated when found.
—Sarah Sarder, Houston Chronicle, 18 Feb. 2020
Scores of common murres, one of the most prolific seabirds, washed up on beaches, and many were emaciated, the researchers said.
—oregonlive, 21 Jan. 2020
The 6-month-old calico and her sibling were found to be emaciated, with low body temperatures and stomach issues.
—Arizona Republic, azcentral, 22 Nov. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for emaciate
Verb
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More broadly, consumer sentiment has declined and retail sales growth has weakened, reflecting the uncertainty of customers over where the economy is headed.—
Harry Holzer,
Forbes.com,
4 Apr. 2025
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But that progress stalled out around the turn of the year, which weakened the case for further rate cuts and ultimately prompted the Fed to stand pat in January.—
Bryan Mena,
CNN Money,
4 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
The Federal Railway Safety Act But Cassity and other union leaders remain concerned that little requires railroads like Norfolk Southern to maintain these protocols once the headlines of East Palestine fade away.—
Atlanta Journal-Constitution,
Chicago Tribune,
31 Mar. 2025
-
Third to Journalism in the recent San Felipe Stakes — the race that more or less made Journalism a candidate Derby horse and that saw Rodriguez fade to show — Rodriguez currently clings to step No. 30 on the Derby points ladder, with 21-plus points.—
Guy Martin,
Forbes.com,
31 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Very rare does a small dog go into a fight with a big beaver and come out on top.—
Marta Mieze,
USA Today,
1 Apr. 2025
-
On the 8th hole, his tee shot went into the trees to the right of the fairway, causing a significant delay in play.—
Josh Hammer,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Apr. 2025
Verb
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The sagging sales could be due to several factors, including the backlash, but also Tesla’s brand changes in the past few years.—
Miranda Nazzaro,
The Hill,
2 Apr. 2025
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His sagging defense at the top of the key, while chasing to the rim for rebounds undermines switching and spacing.—
Troy Renck,
The Denver Post,
22 Mar. 2025
Verb
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What doesn’t decay this winter can be mulched up next spring.—
Jeff Lowenfels,
Anchorage Daily News,
22 Sep. 2022
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In particular, many theorists have wondered how the great complexity of life can be reconciled with the laws of thermodynamics that suggest that all systems must inevitably decay to a state of greatest disorder.—
The Physics arXiv Blog,
Discover Magazine,
29 Apr. 2022
Verb
-
Aim for Outsized Returns Given that most innovation initiatives will fail, the successful projects must generate returns that justify the overall investment.—
Jessica Mendoza,
Forbes.com,
1 Apr. 2025
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In 2023, British millionaire Richard Branson’s Virgin Orbit launched a flight over the Atlantic Ocean that reached space but failed to attain orbit, and the company folded a few months later.—
Sara Hashemi,
Smithsonian Magazine,
31 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Emaciate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/emaciate. Accessed 12 Apr. 2025.
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