To shrivel is to make something shrink or to reduce its size. When you shrivel a plant, you are reducing the amount of water that it needs.
The plant shriveled when the water was cut off.
The company is shriveling due to the economic downturn.
verb
decrease in size, range, or extent
Synonyms:
verb
wither, as with a loss of moisture
Synonyms:
1
During summer, these terrestrial orchids shrivel and wither above the ground.
2
When negative statistics were presented, the arrow would shrink and shrivel up.
3
Infected seeds tend to shrivel and dry up rather than rot.
4
Flowers will fade and shrivel prematurely.
5
Flowers will fade and shrivel soon.
6
The egg in syrup will shrivel up.
7
As lesions grow, they eventually collapse and shrivel.
8
Hot winds can cause the blooms to quickly shrivel.
9
I imagine that salt shrivels up the germs by osmosis.
10
As a result, the half grown leaves turn brown, shrivel, and fall.