dry up
Third Person
dries up
Present Participle
drying up
Past Tense
dried up
Past Participle
dried up
1
to become empty of water or other liquids, often through evaporation
- As the sun beat down, the river began to dry up, revealing more of its rocky bed.
- Leaving the wet laundry outside in the sun caused it to dry up quickly.
- During the drought, many small ponds and lakes in the region started to dry up.
- The spilled water on the kitchen floor would eventually dry up if not wiped away.
- The heat caused the soil in the garden to dry up, making it necessary to water the plants more frequently.
Antonyms:
2
to get smaller and wrinkled due to loss of all one's moisture
- If you leave fruit exposed to the sun for too long, it may dry up and shrivel.
- The old leather wallet was left in the sun for too long, causing it to dry up.
- Without proper care, the once-lush grapes on the vine will eventually dry up and wither.
Synonyms:
3
to suddenly stop speaking, often due to forgetting or not knowing what to say next
- During the presentation, the speaker suddenly dried up and struggled to recall the key points.
- The actor on stage had a moment where he completely dried up, leaving an awkward silence in the theater.
- In the middle of her speech, she dried up and had to pause to collect her thoughts.
- The comedian often jokes about the fear of drying up on stage and blanking out during a performance.
- As the interviewee faced tough questions, he dried up and found it challenging to articulate his responses.
4
to not exist anymore, such as resources, opportunities, etc.
- During the economic downturn, job opportunities started to dry up, leaving many unemployed.
- With the increased demand, the store's inventory of popular products quickly began to dry up.
- As the project neared completion, funding started to dry up, causing delays in the final stages.
- The company faced financial difficulties when investor interest began to dry up, impacting its growth plans.
5
to make something lose its moisture
transitive
- The heat from the sun can quickly dry up wet clothes hung outside.
- Using a hairdryer, she was able to dry up the spilled water on the bathroom floor.
- The kitchen towels were used to dry up the dishes after they were washed.
- The gardener used a rake to dry up the muddy soil in the flowerbeds.
6
to use a towel to dry dishes after one is done washing them
transitive
- After washing the dinner plates, she would dry up each one with a clean kitchen towel.
- In the restaurant kitchen, the staff members take turns washing and drying up the dishes.
- It's a good practice to let dishes air dry, but if you're in a hurry, you can always dry them up with a cloth.
- The children were assigned the task of washing and drying up the dishes after family dinners.
- He preferred to dry up the glasses and cutlery immediately after washing to avoid water spots.