1
as in to soften
to diminish the physical strength of
weeks of hardship in the desert had greatly weakened them
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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
What opportunities did present themselves to Vancouver to sell on Friday were of insufficient interest to convince the club to weaken the team that’s in the eighth spot in the Western Conference by points percentage.
—
Thomas Drance, The Athletic, 8 Mar. 2025
Never has one trampled on the American Constitution, while threatening to disregard judges who stand in his way, weaken countervailing powers, and take control of social media.
—Claude Malhuret, The Atlantic, 8 Mar. 2025
Democrats cite those numbers as evidence that their strategy is working, though Trump’s polling could, for example, reflect weakening consumer confidence with respect to the economy.
—Naomi Lim, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 7 Mar. 2025
Fed officials are closely monitoring inflation and the labor market for signs of a potentially weakening economy.
—CBS News, 27 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for weaken
Thomas Drance, The Athletic, 8 Mar. 2025
Never has one trampled on the American Constitution, while threatening to disregard judges who stand in his way, weaken countervailing powers, and take control of social media.
—Claude Malhuret, The Atlantic, 8 Mar. 2025
Democrats cite those numbers as evidence that their strategy is working, though Trump’s polling could, for example, reflect weakening consumer confidence with respect to the economy.
—Naomi Lim, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 7 Mar. 2025
Fed officials are closely monitoring inflation and the labor market for signs of a potentially weakening economy.
—CBS News, 27 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for weaken
Recent Examples of Synonyms for weaken
Verb
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Reduce heat to medium, and cook, uncovered, until vegetables soften slightly, 8 to 10 minutes.—
Kimberly Holland,
Southern Living,
17 Mar. 2025
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The data, released by the Census Bureau, will offer a look at how Americans spent their money during a month in which consumer confidence was softening amid tariff uncertainty.—
Kevin Stankiewicz,Matthew J. Belvedere,
CNBC,
16 Mar. 2025
Verb
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The possible explanatory layers overwhelm, and so there’s an honesty to how the series opts to focus on the devastation instead, fading out on the image of the Miller family torn apart and Eddie breaking down on Jamie’s bed.—
Nicholas Quah,
Vulture,
19 Mar. 2025
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Now, Trump's personal and fading legal troubles—combined with his brash policies concerning issues like immigration, executive power, and corporate regulations—are once again driving people to law school.—
Dan Perry,
Newsweek,
18 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Old-timers’ fears of diversity diluting the unique Vienna affect — the blend of instruments being a wonder of the orchestral world — proved unsurprisingly unfounded.—
Mark Swed,
Los Angeles Times,
15 Mar. 2025
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Expand only when revenue and opportunity justify it, allowing growth without diluting your brand or abandoning your core audience.—
Rolling Stone Culture Council,
Rolling Stone,
13 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Man charged after crash that killed 5 A man was charged Friday with intoxication manslaughter after five people were killed and several injured in a late-night wreck in Austin, Texas, that involved more than a dozen vehicles on Interstate 35, authorities said.—
Compiled by Democrat-Gazette Staff From Wire Reports,
arkansasonline.com,
15 Mar. 2025
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After leaving he workplace, police said Bell later returned, pulled a gun and shot the man in the torso, seriously injuring him.—
Michael Moore Jr.,
Miami Herald,
15 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Now’s a good time to mention my other chronic pain, pain that isn’t related to my sagging breasts.—
Nicola Dall'Asen,
Allure,
12 Mar. 2025
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Numerous auto industry analysts have attributed Tesla's recent sagging stock—and auto sales—to Musk's support of Trump and other far right candidates around the world.—
Faisal Kutty,
Newsweek,
11 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Our contact tracing effort reached more than 3 million New Yorkers who had been infected by, or were exposed to, the virus, creating millions of opportunities to break chains of transmission.—
Dr. Mitchell Katz,
New York Daily News,
14 Mar. 2025
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If people take it after they have been infected, the drug can help to reduce the amount of virus the immune system has to manage and can lower the chances of severe disease.—
Alice Park,
TIME,
14 Mar. 2025
Verb
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The result was the grotesque spectacle of people increasingly debilitated by starvation and disease doing hard physical labor for wages that were not sufficient to keep their families alive.—
Fintan O'Toole,
The New Yorker,
10 Mar. 2025
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Throughout her more than 15 years in the spotlight, Gaga, 38, has been candid about her struggles with mental health, substance abuse and debilitating chronic pain.—
Patrick Ryan,
USA TODAY,
6 Mar. 2025
Verb
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The country singer previously featured in December 2020, two months after he was dropped from an episode after failing to take Covid precautions on a night out.—
Peter White,
Deadline,
19 Mar. 2025
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Apple is required to make these changes, and failing to do so could lead to fines.—
Ars Technica,
Ars Technica,
19 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Weaken.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/weaken. Accessed 23 Mar. 2025.
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