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Recent Examples of defoliate
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
Affected trees can be completely defoliated, giving a wintry appearance in summer.
—Erica Browne Grivas, Better Homes & Gardens, 12 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for defoliate
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
Affected trees can be completely defoliated, giving a wintry appearance in summer.
—Erica Browne Grivas, Better Homes & Gardens, 12 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for defoliate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for defoliate
Verb
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Otherwise known as Bloody Face, Thredson's murderous actions, including skinning victims, were motivated by his search for a mother figure after being abandoned as a child.—
Jordana Comiter,
PEOPLE,
8 Oct. 2025
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The baby used her tail to smack the bird before taking it underwater, resurfacing to show boaters the bird had been skinned, the group said.—
Paloma Chavez,
Sacbee.com,
2 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The volunteer pilot, a Wyoming physician named Brent Blue, told me that there’s usually not too much barking unless there’s a cat on board.—
Rachel Monroe,
New Yorker,
16 Oct. 2025
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Perhaps a dog barks too much, a cat roams through the yard, or pets are relieving themselves in unwanted areas.—
Liz O'Connell,
MSNBC Newsweek,
16 Oct. 2025
Verb
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To hull a strawberry: Grab a sharp paring knife with your dominant hand, gripping the blade with your index finger and thumb, and leave about 1 inch poking out.—
The Washington Post,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
25 June 2025
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Uses include: Blend hulled seeds with oil to make homemade tahini sauce Put them in a vegetable slaw Sprinkle on to add an Asian twist to your recipes. 4.—
Nancy LeBrun,
Verywell Health,
11 June 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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These include thinning fabric, stretching or sagging, holes, flaying, and heavy pilling.—
Gabi De la Rosa,
Southern Living,
1 July 2025
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Separating fact from invention is difficult, but there have been rumors that there was more than one murderer, the killing was drug-related and — perhaps most disturbingly — that Driscoll was either dismembered or flayed alive.—
Alex Heigl,
People.com,
18 May 2025
Verb
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And more recently, in the throes of a homeless crisis, city staff and law enforcement have removed and denuded trees to control the conditions on the street.—
Sam Bloch
August 8,
Literary Hub,
8 Aug. 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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South Beach’s expanse is the perfect place to stroll and shell, and East Beach is ideal for surfers seeking bigger swells.—
Tara Massouleh McCay,
Southern Living,
17 Oct. 2025
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Remove and discard intestines from lobster shell and place shell back in pot.—
Kathryn Gregory,
Louisville Courier Journal,
14 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Like their giraffe cousins, okapi have a long tongue used for stripping leaves from trees, according to National Geographic.—
Erin Clack,
PEOPLE,
19 Oct. 2025
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Rutgers, meanwhile, has lost three in a row and now faces the unenviable task of attempting to strip down one of the most intimidating offenses in the nation.—
Ben Verbrugge,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Defoliate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defoliate. Accessed 20 Oct. 2025.
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