defoliates

verb

present tense third-person singular of defoliate
as in shells

Related Words

Relevance

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for defoliates
  1. shells
  2. barks
  3. shucks
  4. skins
  5. strips
  6. exposes
  7. scales
Verb
  • During the drive, a tank shells the car, killing most of the occupants.
    — E. Alex Jung, Vulture, 11 Dec. 2025
Definition of shells
Verb
  • The dog searches, finds the person, barks, and receives the toy as his reward.
    — Tibisay Zea, Christian Science Monitor, 15 July 2026
  • Early sips are big on citrus (specifically pomelo and lemon) and herbal tea, alongside lighter elements of cedar and birch barks.
    — David Thomas Tao, Forbes.com, 8 July 2026
Definition of barks
Verb
  • Who is this man who shucks oysters as if preparing the Eucharist?
    — Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 29 July 2026
Definition of shucks
Verb
  • Onion skins to add nutrients to soil, either through compost heap or by placing scraps directly in the dirt.
    — Ashley Chalmers, The Spruce, 7 July 2026
  • Sanders, along with two of his daughters, skins the fish straightaway.
    — Amy Drew Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 28 June 2026
Definition of skins
Verb
  • Most tap water in the UAE comes from desalination, which strips out salt but leaves minerals behind, producing a mineral load that builds up on hair, skin and surfaces.
    — Ritu Upadhyay, Footwear News, 19 Aug. 2026
  • This is because the bar also features glycerin and shea butter—a combo that moisturizes rather than strips the skin.
    — Kiana Murden, Vogue, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of strips
Verb
  • The International Maritime Organization has biofouling guidelines, but the scale of the current disruption exposes gaps in rules designed around routine shipping rather than mass, unplanned vessel lay-ups.
    — Monica Sanders, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026
  • Splashing down in the ocean exposes the spacecraft’s engines, stainless steel structure, and sensitive electronics to the corrosive effects of salt water.
    — Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of exposes
Verb
  • Adoption scales more sustainably when people learn supervision, not just operation, of the tool.
    — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 2026
  • Rather than reinventing that formula, the Max 4 scales it up dramatically for users printing items ranging from large cosplay parts to functional prototypes to industrial-style engineering components.
    — Michael Lydick, PC Magazine, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of scales
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.

Browse Nearby Words

defoliated
defoliates
defoliating
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Defoliates.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defoliates. Accessed 22 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of august

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

How to Pronounce the Trickiest Menu Items

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Words of the Week - Aug. 21

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
alt-684346df967d5
Add A Letter Quiz Pick the letter that goes in the same spot in fou...
See All