mold 1 of 2

noun

Definition of moldnext
as in soil
the loose surface material in which plants naturally grow mold so rich that just about anything will grow in it

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

mold

2 of 2

verb

as in to decompose
to go through decomposition plants molding in the abandoned garden

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 mold
Noun
Bathrooms, basements and other wet areas need plenty of ventilation to prevent mold and mildew. — Dr. Lauren Zajac, Boston Herald, 19 July 2026 Aviator’s Restaurant at Sacramento Executive Airport remains closed six months after a routine kitchen floor repair uncovered crumbling concrete, corroded rebar, asbestos and mold. — Sacbee.com, 18 July 2026
Verb
More than that, Kreisel writes, some viewed it as a tool to mold spirituality back home into a form that would not conflict with modern science. — Livia Gershon, JSTOR Daily, 7 July 2026 Pulitzer-Prize finalist Daniel Mason molds his new novel around Miles Krzelewski, married to a Stanford academic superstar, twelve years tardy on his dissertation. — Hamilton Cain, Time, 7 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for mold
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mold
  1. soil
  2. decompose
  3. dirt
  4. rot
  5. ground
  6. disintegrate
  7. sand
  8. decay
Noun
  • Tszyu has never lost on home soil, and this is his middleweight debut in front of a Sydney crowd.
    — Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 26 July 2026
  • His extradition shortly after leaving office marked a rare chance at justice for Hondurans, who feared his hold on the country's justice system would never allow a conviction on Honduran soil.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 26 July 2026
Definition of soil
Verb
  • Of the powerful smell a decomposing body produces, Ho noted the stench was noticeable down the hall from the autopsy room.
    — Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 24 July 2026
  • About four months after Celeste’s death, her decomposing body was found in the Tesla registered to Burke after it was towed from the Hollywood Hills in September.
    — Madeline Morrison, NBC news, 22 July 2026
Definition of decompose
Noun
  • The restaurant received 87% on June 26, with violations including dead roaches, debris and dirt.
    — Eva Flowe July 25, Charlotte Observer, 25 July 2026
  • For decades, that saltwater, called brine, was spread on dirt and gravel roads across the state to control dust and also on paved roads to melt ice.
    — Nathaniel Warner, The Conversation, 24 July 2026
Definition of dirt
Verb
  • More than 85 million pounds of food were being stored at the warehouse, and as of Wednesday, 3,195 tons of the now-rotting material had been removed from the site, according to Lineage.
    — City News Service, Daily News, 25 July 2026
  • But in the weeks since, the stench of rotting food has drifted into nearby neighborhoods.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 25 July 2026
Definition of rot
Noun
  • But lawyers for the Haitians maintained a narrow challenge on constitutional grounds.
    — Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 23 July 2026
  • History makes clear that the deployment of large ground formations is no guarantee of strategic success.
    — David A. Deptula, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026
Definition of ground
Verb
  • Flights in early 2025, though, ended in a series of failures including two in which the Starship upper stage disintegrated in a fiery cascade of debris across the skies visible from Florida and the Caribbean.
    — Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 16 July 2026
  • Rainfall likely caused any additional meteorite fragments that fell outside to disintegrate.
    — Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 15 July 2026
Definition of disintegrate
Noun
  • Nicknamed the Emerald Coast, this land has miles of golden-sand beach on one side, mangrove estuaries, evergreen rainforest, and Sierra Madre mountains on the other.
    — Laura Dannen Redman, Robb Report, 23 July 2026
  • These skilled hunters stalk their prey in a variety of ways, from hydroplaning onto the sand to grab seals to corralling fish into big bait balls for a snack.
    — Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 23 July 2026
Definition of sand
Verb
  • Blackwater of the Okefenokee Swamp, caused by tannins leached from decaying vegetation, reflects cypress trees at the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge, Tuesday, August 12, 2025, in Folkston.
    — Charles Seabrook, AJC.com, 25 July 2026
  • During the second inspection, inspectors found decaying organic waste, wastewater, food residue, unsanitary conditions that allowed the breeding of flies, as well as live and dead flies along the northern perimeter of the warehouse.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 25 July 2026
Definition of decay

Browse Nearby Words

mokes
mold
moldable
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Mold.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mold. Accessed 30 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on mold

Nglish: Translation of mold for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about mold

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 sultry

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

Your vs. You're: How to Use Them Correctly
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
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
chain-question-mark
Missing Link Quiz July 2026 Five seconds to figure out the word that fits bot...
See All