WEAKENS Synonyms: 134 Similar and Opposite Words

weakens

verb

present tense third-person singular of weaken

as in softens

to diminish the physical strength of weeks of hardship in the desert had greatly weakened them

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in fades

to lose bodily strength or vigor the bodybuilder weakened once she eased off on her workouts

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in dilutes

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

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 weakens Narrowing the spread also weakens the incentive to steer patients toward costlier drugs and to acquire physician practices and infusion clinics — the very behaviors that have made care more expensive. — Casey B. Mulligan, STAT, 8 Oct. 2026 Research shows that people who share their goals publicly are less likely to achieve them, since talking about them creates a premature sense of accomplishment and weakens the drive to do the work. — Ben Meer, CNBC, 7 Oct. 2026 Editing weakens detection OpenAI’s tests show that longer passages give the detector a better chance of finding the signal. — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 5 Oct. 2026 Fink said the churn weakens the tie between a worker and an employer. — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 2 Oct. 2026 Opponents argue the proposal weakens environmental protections, stifles community input and could fast-track projects like data centers and freeways. — Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2026 Frozen soil that has held buildings, roads and pipelines for decades can start to sink as temperatures rise and the ice that bonds soil particles weakens. — Ming Xiao, The Conversation, 29 Sep. 2026 Heat weakens elastic materials including spandex and elastane. — Ryan Brennan, Sacbee.com, 28 Sep. 2026 Every decision made strengthens or weakens stakeholder trust. — Leslie Motter, Forbes.com, 25 Sep. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for weakens

Verb

After the first 10 handshakes, the chatter softens to a murmur.

— Daniel Sperry, Kansas City Star, 11 Oct. 2026
The Raylan Leather Armchair has timeless elegance, with high-quality, top-grain leather that develops a rich patina and softens with use.

— Sarah Scott, Southern Living, 11 Oct. 2026

Definition of softens

Verb

Community organizations spent decades cultivating wealthy baby boomer donors, and so that connection fades with each generation removed from the original donors.

— Sydney Lake, Fortune, 6 Oct. 2026
Its manganese spins continue fluctuating in preferred directions after long-range magnetic order fades.

— Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 3 Oct. 2026

Definition of fades

Verb

Unfortunately, using too little paint will leave patchy areas and harsh lines, and using too much paint will promote drips and paint that sags.

— Timothy Dale, The Spruce, 6 July 2026
There is no scrapeable archive of how to grasp a wet cup, unload a box that sags in the middle, fold a towel, or help an older adult out of a chair.

— Robert J. Szczerba, Forbes.com, 23 June 2026

Definition of sags

Verb

Rabies infects very few humans in the United States and California, according to the state public health department.

— Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2026
For example, Clostridioides difficile is a spore-forming bacterium that infects the gut and causes severe diarrhea and colitis.

— Canan Karakoç, The Conversation, 28 Sep. 2026

Definition of infects

Verb

Modern slips and colorful dresses in fluid shapes are equally strong choices, and when all else fails, a little black dress is a safe bet.

— Corinne Pierre-Louis, Vogue, 9 Oct. 2026
But the game management staff, certain depth chart placements and how the roster fails to reach its potential are deserving of an extensive evaluation.

— Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 9 Oct. 2026

Definition of fails

Verb

Rapid Growth That Doesn’t Last A quick burst of bright green growth might seem like success, but if your lawn suddenly looks lush and then collapses or thins out, something is off.

— Jessica Safavimehr, Southern Living, 7 Oct. 2026
Estrogen loss thins the vaginal tissue and changes the microbiome, leading to a less acidic environment -- a breeding ground for harmful bacteria that cause UTIs.

— Laura Trujillo, USA Today, 22 Sep. 2026

Definition of thins

Browse Nearby Words

weakening

weakens

weakhearted

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“Weakens.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/weakens. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of weakens

verb

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