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Recent Examples of defoliate
In addition to being unsightly, the caterpillars can partially defoliate and weaken the plants.
—
Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 12 June 2025
Plants can defoliate all their leaves before any sign of the disease is obvious.
—Rita Perwich, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 June 2025
Thielen noted that the three St. Louis County wildfires were zero percent contained as of early Tuesday afternoon, and that the dry and windy conditions Tuesday and Wednesday are conducive to wildfire spread in an area heavily defoliated by the spruce budworm.
—Katie Rohman, Twin Cities, 13 May 2025
This bright red insect can severely defoliate these lilies.
—Pamm Cooper, Hartford Courant, 10 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for defoliate
Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 12 June 2025
Plants can defoliate all their leaves before any sign of the disease is obvious.
—Rita Perwich, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 June 2025
Thielen noted that the three St. Louis County wildfires were zero percent contained as of early Tuesday afternoon, and that the dry and windy conditions Tuesday and Wednesday are conducive to wildfire spread in an area heavily defoliated by the spruce budworm.
—Katie Rohman, Twin Cities, 13 May 2025
This bright red insect can severely defoliate these lilies.
—Pamm Cooper, Hartford Courant, 10 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for defoliate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for defoliate
Verb
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In the fall, the workers trade in their pruning shears for knives sharp enough to skin a deer in minutes.—
Craig Shoup,
Nashville Tennessean,
28 Nov. 2025
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All of them knew how to skin a deer.—
Jamie Thompson,
The Atlantic,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Bulldog or border collie, barking or getting its belly rubbed, a dog can be many things while still remaining a dog.—
Ben Brubaker,
Quanta Magazine,
7 Jan. 2026
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Cackles, even, as the obnoxiously loud guy sitting behind me barked throughout the show.—
Ross Raihala,
Twin Cities,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
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This clever stem remover gadget makes hulling strawberries quick and clean.—
Nora Colomer
may earn a commission if you buy through our referral links. This content was created by a team that works independently from the Fox newsroom.,
FOXNews.com,
24 Oct. 2025
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Both hulled and unhulled pumpkin seeds provide more magnesium than sunflower seeds.—
Brittany Lubeck,
Verywell Health,
21 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Just husk the corn, remove the silk and grill those cobs naked so they’re lightly charred, sweet, slightly crisp with a roasty popcorn taste.—
Beth Dooley,
Boston Herald,
20 Aug. 2025
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Examples include chopping bee, husking bee, logging bee, quilting bee, house- or barn-raising bee, sewing bee, spinning be, and, ultimately, spelling bee.—
Richard Lederer,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 June 2025
Verb
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Koch was a real-life Nazi war criminal, played here by Krieps, whose sick specialties include flaying the skin off of Jewish people and making objects out of it like lampshades.—
William Earl,
Variety,
4 Oct. 2025
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This led to the investigation of Gein’s farm that unearthed his atrocities, including Worden’s body being decapitated, flayed, and hung in his shed.—
Brian Tallerico,
Vulture,
4 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The school itself is one story and sprawling, the campus denuded of pine trees.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
22 Oct. 2025
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Trash burning and water shortages are a worsening blight, while the construction of upscale villas has denuded vegetation and exacerbated a perennial flooding problem.—
Charlie Campbell,
TIME,
17 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Key Takeaways Pumpkin seeds with their shells on contain more fiber than almonds, but almonds have more fiber than shelled pumpkin seeds.—
Sohaib Imtiaz,
Verywell Health,
3 Nov. 2025
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Cardo has also placed a helmet health indicator that monitors shell integrity and notifies you when the helmet may no longer be fit to be worn.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
30 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Using the Wrong Detergent Unless the black clothes are heavily soiled, consider using a gentle detergent formulated for dark colors rather than one packed with extra enzymes to strip dirt from clothes.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
Southern Living,
8 Nov. 2025
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Sources say that the Princesses are furious at Prince William for allegedly threatening to revoke their titles as Princesses after their father ex-Prince Andrew, got his titles stripped.—
Lea Veloso,
StyleCaster,
8 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Defoliate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defoliate. Accessed 9 Jan. 2026.
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