the.com/weaken
To turn a fortress into a sandcastle, one tide at a time.
means To make something or someone less strong, less powerful, or less effective—or to become so.
from From Old English wac, meaning soft or pliant, plus the verb-making -en; literally to make soft, the same root that softened into weak itself.
Verb factoryThe -en suffix also builds darken, harden, sharpen.
Two-way streetWorks as both action and self-decline.
Quiet cousinShares roots with wince, waver, and vacillate.