Word Study
dwindle
OXFORD DICTIONARY
dwindle, v.intr.
1 become gradually smaller; shrink; waste away.
2 lose importance; decline; degenerate.
1 become gradually smaller; shrink; waste away.
2 lose importance; decline; degenerate.
Etymology
dwine fade away f. OE dwinan, ON dvina
THESAURUS
dwindle
abate, ablate, attenuate, bate, be consumed, be eaten away, be gone, calm, calm down, cease, cease to be, cease to exist, close, condense, consume, consume away, contract, corrode, crumble, decline, decrease, deliquesce, dematerialize, depart, die, die away, die down, die out, diminish, disappear, dispel, disperse, dissipate, dissolve, dive, do a fade-out, drift away, droop, drop, drop off, ebb, erode, evanesce, evaporate, exit, extenuate, fade, fade away, fade out, fail, fall, fall away, fall off, fall short, flag, flee, fly, go, go away, halt, hide, languish, leave no trace, leave the scene, lessen, let up, lose strength, lull, melt, melt away, moderate, molder, move away, move off, pacify, pass, pass away, pass out, peak, perish, peter out, pine, plummet, plunge, pull away, quiesce, quiet, quieten, recede, reduce, retire, retire from sight, retreat, retrocede, run down, run low, sag, shrink, shrivel up, sink, sink away, soothe, stand off, stop, subside, suffer an eclipse, tail off, taper, taper off, thin, tranquilize, vanish, vanish from sight, wane, waste, waste away, weaken, wear, wear away, widen the distance, wilt, withdraw, wither, wither awayROGET THESAURUS
dwindle
Contraction
VB become small, become smaller, lessen, decrease, grow less, dwindle, shrink, contract, narrow, shrivel, collapse, wither, lose flesh, wizen, fall away, waste, wane, ebb, decay, be smaller than, fall short of, not come up to, render smaller, lessen, diminish, contract, draw in, narrow, coarctate, boil down, constrict, constringe, condense, compress, squeeze, corrugate, crimp, crunch, crush, crumple up, warp, purse up, pack, squeeze, stow, pinch, tighten, strangle, cramp, dwarf, bedwarf, shorten, circumscribe, restrain, (subtraction) 38 abrade, pare, reduce, attenuate, rub down, scrape, file, file down, grind, grind down, chip, shave, shear, wear down.For further exploring for "dwindle" in Webster Dictionary Online