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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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Plus, undoing a vital world economic order his predecessors built; invading the Federal Reserve’s independence; gerrymandering congressional districts and weaponizing his Justice Department against an ex-president and a New York attorney general who skinned his hide in court.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
18 Aug. 2025
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Parish skins the leg quarters — frying up the exteriors for cracklins — and smokes them before a three-hour confit.—
Matthew Odam,
Austin American Statesman,
25 July 2025
Verb
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Some guys are finding solace in extreme physical activity with expletive-laden barking from a drill sergeant to reclaim their manhood.—
Phillip M. Bailey,
USA Today,
4 Sep. 2025
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Residents reported dogs behind fences jumping over them or barking at them.—
Raisa Habersham,
Miami Herald,
4 Sep. 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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Carefully slide the spoon between the whites and shell and apply light pressure to separate the two.—
Cody Godwin,
USA Today,
4 Sep. 2025
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Rajab and her family had been fleeing Gaza City when their vehicle was shelled, killing her uncle, aunt and three cousins.—
Nick Vivarelli,
Variety,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Miley Cyrus shocked viewers by stripping down to a nude bikini top and briefs and grinding, twerking and thrusting on fellow performer Robin Thicke at the 2013 show in one of the raciest performances in MTV history.—
Kate Hogan,
PEOPLE,
7 Sep. 2025
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The moratorium provision was ultimately stripped from the bill before final passage.—
Samantha-Jo Roth,
The Washington Examiner,
7 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Defoliate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defoliate. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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