as in shedding
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
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Recent Examples of molting
Here, Jaffe softens the borders between his dual interests in electronic music and jazz, crafting compositions that are constantly molting and emerging anew.
—
Dash Lewis, Pitchfork, 20 Dec. 2025
Extreme drought is causing breeding grounds, molting spots and migration stopover sites to vanish.
—The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 7 Aug. 2025
Dash Lewis, Pitchfork, 20 Dec. 2025
Extreme drought is causing breeding grounds, molting spots and migration stopover sites to vanish.
—The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 7 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for molting
Verb
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In some cases, correspondence or other documents included in the files indicate more extensive relationships between Epstein and those figures than had previously been disclosed, shedding light on years’ worth of interactions.—
Chantelle Lee,
Time,
21 Feb. 2026
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Once the snow melted and temperatures warmed, the mudbugs were fully grown and shedding their shells, resulting in soft crawfish that are no good for consumption.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
20 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Violations can be written for peeling paint, leaking roof, electrical and plumbing problems, holes in the wall, floor and ceiling, and decayed wood.—
Dave Lieber,
Dallas Morning News,
19 Feb. 2026
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While Duluth rentals are required to have paint in good condition and not peeling or chipping before receiving their rental licenses, Kelli Latuska, a city of Duluth spokesperson, said the city does not test paint for lead.—
Jimmy Lovrien,
Twin Cities,
16 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Molting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/molting. Accessed 25 Feb. 2026.
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