verb
shrivel
SHRIH-vuhl
verb
1
To shrink and wrinkle, especially from losing moisture.
"The grapes shriveled into raisins in the sun."
"Without water, the plant's leaves quickly shriveled."
How to Use Shrivel
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishTo dry out and shrink into a wrinkled shape.
Common pairings
shrivel up
shriveled skin
Word Forms
shriveled past tense, shrivelled past tense, shrivels singular
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The grapes _____ into raisins in the sun.
Etymology
Probably of North Germanic origin, related to a Swedish dialect word for "wrinkle," and connected to the same root as shrink.