Definition of moltnext
as in to shed
to cast (a natural bodily covering or appendage) aside a crab molts its shell as it grows larger

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 molt Extreme drought is causing breeding grounds, molting spots and migration stopover sites to vanish. The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 7 Aug. 2025 Except for periods when some birds that are molting, all 16 penguins usually come out for feedings, Waier said. Jim Higgins, jsonline.com, 31 July 2025 Several people from the Greater Cincinnati area have posted photos to social media showing adult cicadas from Brood XIV resting on plants after molting, with their nymph shells nearby. Chad Murphy, The Enquirer, 2 July 2025 And the protein this baby junco needs to molt its blotchy juvenile feathers and to grow sleek stone-gray feathers on top and white ones below would come only from bugs. Madeline Bodin, Smithsonian Magazine, 27 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for molt
Recent Examples of Synonyms for molt
shed
Verb
  • The lifts have stopped for the day and skiers have shed their Bogner gear by the roaring central fire.
    Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 20 Feb. 2026
  • Johnson’s administration and Burke’s team had discussed the executive order via email and phone calls before the announcement, according to records obtained by the Tribune via a Freedom of Information Act request that shed more light on the rare public disagreement.
    Madeline Buckley, Chicago Tribune, 19 Feb. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Molt.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/molt. Accessed 25 Feb. 2026.

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