All 7 Uses

wither
in
Flags of Our Fathers
(Auto-generated)

After the enemy had destroyed one of Basilone's sections, leaving only two men still in action, the sergeant grabbed a damaged gun, repaired it by feel in pitch darkness, under withering fire, and manned it himself, holding the line until replacements arrived.†
Chpt 3.
His offer was met by withering gunfire.†
Chpt 3. *
The memories of him, among the guys of Easy Company, are almost unremittingly withering: "He seemed like a guy who didn't want his body hurt."†
Chpt 5.
Crisscrossing, withering fire would rain down upon a beach so jammed with boys that hardly a bullet could miss.†
Chpt 6.
They needed immediate rescue, but they lay under withering cross fire.†
Chpt 8.
As he ran backward over the treacherous ground, dodging bullets, he coolly slipped a belt of ammunition from his shoulder and delicately fed it into his machine gun, sprayed withering fire into the attackers as his buddies dashed to safety.†
Chpt 13.
The dream of a farm began to wither.†
Chpt 17.

Definitions:

(1) (wither as in: wither on the vine)
to shrivel (wrinkle and contract -- usually from lack of water)
(2) (wither as in: her confidence withered)
to become weaker--sometimes to get smaller and disappear
(3) (meaning too rare to warrant focus)
Much less commonly, Withers can be a last name.