Synonyms of molting

molting

verb

present participle of molt

as in shedding

to cast (a natural bodily covering or appendage) aside

a crab molts its shell as it grows larger

Synonyms & Similar Words

• shedding
• peeling
• sloughing
• discarding
• slipping
• ditching
• exfoliating
• scaling
• flaking
• unloading
• scrapping
• flinging (off or away)
• throwing away
• throwing out
• jettisoning
• junking
• shucking (off)
• chucking

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of molting

Now, in his fourth week checking the hawk’s nest on OC Parks’ land managed by the Irvine Ranch Conservancy, Gough noticed the color change, indicating the chicks are molting their feathers, doing well, and growing. — Erika I. Ritchie, Oc Register, 8 May 2026

On the Sonora stage Sunday, the 22-year-old Newark rapper-producer who arrived at the current screaming catharsis via a circuit of molting SoundCloud-era microgenres was at once dangerously commanding and euphoric while tearing through highlights from last year’s Revengeseekerz. — Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 21 Apr. 2026

Why Emperor Penguins Are Declining Emperor penguins depend on stable Antarctic sea ice for breeding, raising chicks and molting for at least nine months of the year. — Hanna Wickes, Charlotte Observer, 9 Apr. 2026

Chicks that haven't grown in their waterproof feathers are the main victims of the drownings, but the lack of sea ice also affects molting adults, who need ice as a safe place to regrow their swimming feathers, per The Guardian. — Joyann Jeffrey, PEOPLE, 9 Apr. 2026

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