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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The city is shedding its legacy of relentless growth, carving green arteries like Cheonggyecheon from concrete and breathing new life into old rail lines.—
Christopher Elliott,
Forbes.com,
25 Jan. 2026
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The goal was to link American culture with its European antecedents—a heady way to justify shedding blood for another continent’s conflict.—
Colton Valentine,
New Yorker,
24 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Moore is certainly not the sort of striker who only comes alive when within shooting range, with a high share of his touches being just beyond the halfway line, often when peeling away from his marker to try and find space.—
Richard Sutcliffe,
New York Times,
5 Jan. 2026
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When peeling poblanos, don’t worry if some skin clings; as long as most is removed, the peppers will be tender.—
Kimberly Holland,
Southern Living,
3 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Molting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/molting. Accessed 26 Jan. 2026.
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