dwindle

verb

ˈdwin-dᵊl How to pronounce dwindle (audio)
Definition of dwindlenext
1
as in to reduce
to make smaller in amount, volume, or extent the long winter dwindled our supply of firewood to practically nothing

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to diminish
to grow less in scope or intensity especially gradually our hopes dwindled as the reports of more casualties came in

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb dwindle differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of dwindle are abate, decrease, diminish, lessen, and reduce. While all these words mean "to grow or make less," dwindle implies progressive lessening and is applied to things growing visibly smaller.

their provisions dwindled slowly

Where would abate be a reasonable alternative to dwindle?

While the synonyms abate and dwindle are close in meaning, abate implies a reducing of something excessive or oppressive in force or amount.

the storm abated

When could decrease be used to replace dwindle?

Although the words decrease and dwindle have much in common, decrease suggests a progressive decline in size, amount, numbers, or intensity.

slowly decreased the amount of pressure

When is diminish a more appropriate choice than dwindle?

The synonyms diminish and dwindle are sometimes interchangeable, but diminish emphasizes a perceptible loss and implies its subtraction from a total.

his visual acuity has diminished

When can lessen be used instead of dwindle?

In some situations, the words lessen and dwindle are roughly equivalent. However, lessen suggests a decline in amount rather than in number.

has been unable to lessen her debt

When might reduce be a better fit than dwindle?

The words reduce and dwindle are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, reduce implies a bringing down or lowering.

you must reduce your caloric intake

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 dwindle Cut to Alex, desperately tending to her dwindling fire while berating God for letting her experience love, only to rip it away from her. —Matt Cabral, EW.com, 6 Apr. 2025 His role has dwindled since Arne Slot took over from Klopp. —Joshua Kloke, New York Times, 4 Apr. 2025 While interest by country has varied over time—applications from India have flattened out, but applications are up from students in China, Ghana and Nigeria—the volume of international applicants hasn’t dwindled, even during the last Trump administration. —Emma Whitford, Forbes.com, 3 Apr. 2025 Musk 'Back in Charge' at Tesla Tesla has faced dwindling stock prices and on Tuesday published its worst quarter numbers in three years on Tuesday. —Lee Habeeb, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for dwindle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dwindle
  1. reduce
  2. diminish
  3. decrease
  4. subside
  5. deplete
  6. decline
  7. vanish
  8. fall
Verb
  • The goal of this prescribed burn is to decrease the existing fire hazard and to prevent and reduce the impact of future fires in the area.
    — CA WILDFIRE BOT, Sacbee.com, 21 Apr. 2025
  • Traditional office leasing implies maintainable overheads, upkeep costs and long-term financial commitments; modular offices eliminate them and reduce construction costs by as much as 30%.
    — Ascend Agency, New York Daily News, 21 Apr. 2025
Definition of reduce
Verb
  • The previous six champions were all diminished the following season by either injuries or significant roster changes.
    — Jay King, New York Times, 14 Apr. 2025
  • But the same things that prevent parents from maintaining employment or housing — especially substance abuse and mental illness — often inhibit them from engaging in services, while also diminishing their ability to protect and care for their children.
    — Emily Putnam-Hornstein and Naomi Schaefer Riley, Twin Cities, 13 Apr. 2025
Definition of diminish
Verb
  • And the over-all number of abortions in the U.S. may eventually decrease as a result of Dobbs.
    — Margaret Talbot, New Yorker, 14 Apr. 2025
  • On the other hand, just 5 percent said tariffs would decrease prices in the short term, and 30 percent said the policy would lower prices in the long term.
    — Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Apr. 2025
Definition of decrease
Verb
  • While the threat of more tornadoes has subsided in the Great Plains, fire danger remains elevated Monday in the region.
    — Ginger Zee, ABC News, 17 Mar. 2025
  • Inflation, which went wild post-Covid, subsided in February, according to data yesterday that gave markets a brief reprieve.
    — Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 13 Mar. 2025
Definition of subside
Verb
  • But not until he's been completely and utterly depleted.
    — Randall Colburn, EW.com, 11 Apr. 2025
  • Groundwater—another key water source—is still depleted from years of overuse and will take longer to recover.
    — David Faris, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Apr. 2025
Definition of deplete
Verb
  • The hospital declined to say whether Ikner was one of their patients.
    — Dalia Faheid, CNN Money, 19 Apr. 2025
  • County officials declined to comment on the civil lawsuit.
    — USA Today, USA Today, 19 Apr. 2025
Definition of decline
Verb
  • American man who vanished during dinner in tourist hot spot found dead.
    — FOXNews.com, FOXNews.com, 9 Apr. 2025
  • Cox was also implicated in the deaths of J.J. and Tylee, who vanished in September 2019.
    — Christine Pelisek, People.com, 8 Apr. 2025
Definition of vanish
Verb
  • And bond market yields fall by about 150 basis points (1.5 percentage points).11 The Fed Fed Chair Powell says the Fed is waiting for the softening survey data to translate into hard data before moving toward lower interest rates.
    — Robert Barone, Forbes.com, 15 Apr. 2025
  • Detectives kept it to themselves, instead the LAPD let the suspects think that investigators had fallen for what police perceived to be a trick.
    — Greg Fisher, CBS News, 14 Apr. 2025
Definition of fall

Browse Nearby Words

dwells (on or upon)
dwindle
dwindled
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Dwindle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dwindle. Accessed 24 Apr. 2025.

Copy Citation

Share

More from Merriam-Webster on dwindle

Nglish: Translation of dwindle for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Words in Disguise: Do these seem familiar?

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?

Every Letter Is Silent, Sometimes: A-Z List of Examples
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Flower Etymologies For Your Spring Garden

8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments

10 Words from Taylor Swift Songs (Merriam's Version)

'Blue Moon,' 'Wolf Moon,' and Other Moons to Look for Throughout the Year

10 Scrabble Words Without Any Vowels
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Flower Etymologies For Your Spring Garden

8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Word Game Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
name that thing flower edition
Name That Flower Can you tell the difference between a lilac and a...
See All