variants
also slew
or slue
as in marsh
spongy land saturated or partially covered with water
the land for miles around the lake is strewn with ponds, sloughs, and mudflats
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
as in to shuffle
to move heavily or clumsily
the unpleasant task of sloughing through the muck to retrieve the ball
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
variants
also sluff
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of slough
Staff Report,
Hartford Courant,
25 June 2026
Clayton-Thomas performed at slew of iconic venues with the band, such as the Royal Albert Hall, the Metropolitan Opera House, the Hollywood Bowl, Madison Square Garden, the Newport Jazz Festival and Woodstock.
—
Edward Segarra,
USA Today,
25 June 2026
Ryan Kartje,
Los Angeles Times,
18 May 2026
My book tries to slough the stigma from the words, to say it all aloud without shame.
—
Literary Hub,
29 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for slough
Noun
America’s 250th is fast approaching and with it, a slew of fireworks displays across Connecticut.
—
Staff Report,
Hartford Courant,
25 June 2026
Clayton-Thomas performed at slew of iconic venues with the band, such as the Royal Albert Hall, the Metropolitan Opera House, the Hollywood Bowl, Madison Square Garden, the Newport Jazz Festival and Woodstock.
—
Edward Segarra,
USA Today,
25 June 2026
Verb
After sloughing off his final semester the first time around at USC, Lee needed at least three B’s and two A’s.
—
Ryan Kartje,
Los Angeles Times,
18 May 2026
My book tries to slough the stigma from the words, to say it all aloud without shame.
—
Literary Hub,
29 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for slough
Recent Examples of Synonyms for slough
Noun
-
Hike, walk, run or bike the flat trails at Cochran Shoals, with beautiful views of the Chattahoochee River, plenty of woods and marshes to explore, and a few 5K training loops.
-
Kadis said among the strategy’s proposals is a blue carbon credit program that would fund carbon-absorbing coastal wetlands, marshes and mangroves.
Verb
-
The company has since shuffled several leaders, including naming a new human resources chief and the company’s first chief digital officer.
-
The assistant shuffled to one side and the scene reset.
Verb
-
The president said that his administration would have to drain the pool and start over again as the new liner shed chunks of itself.
-
Just as my outfit choices become breezier in the soupy months of summer, my makeup routine sheds some layers, too.
Noun
-
Instead, the idea is to lock in preservation protections for the 17,000 acres of wetlands surrounding the facility.
-
The land where the Lincoln Memorial sits used to be mudflats and wetlands, but now its Reflecting Pool became home to a historically large algae bloom filled with jagged clumps of blue industrial paint.
Verb
-
There's been some stumbling plays, thwarted by tripping and dramatic falls.
-
The conversation stumbles on for a few moments, but Crook can’t find the words.
Noun
-
Air quality officials also recommend using an air purifier if available and avoiding the use of whole-house fans or swamp coolers that can draw outdoor air inside.
-
For millions of years between 350 and 280 million years ago (about 30 million years before the first dinosaurs), these croc-like animals ruled the rivers, swamps, and lakes of the ancient world.
Verb
-
Now city officials are being asked to stomp the gas pedal on an ordinance that could speed the demise of some of downtown’s stateliest buildings — ones that help define its character, such as the old train station on Church Street, the Kress building and the Angebilt Hotel.
-
On Monday night, a 39-year-old man wearing a Spurs jersey was stomped and punched after Game 3 while walking down West 47th Street, about 15 blocks from the arena.
Verb
-
Once again, a bot has barged its way into trouble.
-
Konsa pushes Mario Pasalic towards the front post, while O’Reilly barges Josip Stanisic in the opposite direction.
Cite this Entry
“Slough.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/slough. Accessed 28 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
