as in shed
to cast (a natural bodily covering or appendage) aside
a crab molts its shell as it grows larger
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Recent Examples of molted
Our fish farm worked beautifully right up until the NewCoral molted, growing fins and fangs and one rocky fin, terrorizing the coastline and hunting the NewFish almost to NewExtinction.
—
Literary Hub, 11 Sep. 2025
Literary Hub, 11 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for molted
Verb
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Since taking over as Hongkong Land’s chief executive, Smith has embarked on a pivot to double down on commercial properties and fund management, while shedding its less lucrative residential businesses.—
Angelica Ang,
Fortune,
5 Feb. 2026
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This deal is another sign the Mavs are moving on from the Luka trade, shedding payroll, and tanking the rest of the season to land a high pick in the 2026 NBA draft.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Add 1 pear, peeled, halved, cored, cut sides down, and cover pan.—
Kendra Vaculin,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
3 Feb. 2026
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Daniel Gafford gingerly peeled back the multiple layers of tape from his right foot and ankle that, once again, were not enough to prevent a painful and scary occurrence.—
Brad Townsend,
Dallas Morning News,
3 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Molted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/molted. Accessed 11 Feb. 2026.
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