as in shuffling
to move heavily or clumsily
the unpleasant task of sloughing through the muck to retrieve the ball
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
variants
also sluffing
as in shedding
to cast (a natural bodily covering or appendage) aside
the snake is sloughing its old skin
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of sloughing
Sophie Wirt, InStyle, 22 May 2026
After sloughing off his final semester the first time around at USC, Lee needed at least three B’s and two A’s.
—Ryan Kartje, Los Angeles Times, 18 May 2026
The bright wallpaper that Nataliia and Valerii had hung was sloughing off in layers, green giving way to roses.
—Lizzie Johnson, New Yorker, 25 Apr. 2026
With the same concept as an exfoliating serum for your face—tackling hyperpigmentation, sloughing off patchy texture, controlling acne, and improving overall skin tone—exfoliation has gone full body with everything from sprays to buffing bars and serums.
—Conçetta Ciarlo, Vogue, 23 Mar. 2026
So, on Thursday night’s show Kimmel doubled-down once again, sloughing off the latest attack from the leader of the free world on his late night comedy show.
—Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 21 Nov. 2025
Verb
Digging around Amazon led me to a skin-sloughing solution.
—Sophie Wirt, InStyle, 22 May 2026
After sloughing off his final semester the first time around at USC, Lee needed at least three B’s and two A’s.
—Ryan Kartje, Los Angeles Times, 18 May 2026
The bright wallpaper that Nataliia and Valerii had hung was sloughing off in layers, green giving way to roses.
—Lizzie Johnson, New Yorker, 25 Apr. 2026
With the same concept as an exfoliating serum for your face—tackling hyperpigmentation, sloughing off patchy texture, controlling acne, and improving overall skin tone—exfoliation has gone full body with everything from sprays to buffing bars and serums.
—Conçetta Ciarlo, Vogue, 23 Mar. 2026
So, on Thursday night’s show Kimmel doubled-down once again, sloughing off the latest attack from the leader of the free world on his late night comedy show.
—Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 21 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sloughing
Verb
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Having gone into hiding, Walt ultimately manages to make some things right before shuffling off the mortal coil.—
Brianna Zigler,
Entertainment Weekly,
2 June 2026
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The move comes one year after the team promoted Saleh to general manager after another round of shuffling in its front office.—
Lauren Williams,
AJC.com,
27 May 2026
Verb
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Directed by Jason Hehir (The Last Dance), this nine-episode docuseries focuses more on the police search than the murder itself, shedding light on the lasting repercussions of this incident.—
James Mercadante,
Entertainment Weekly,
4 June 2026
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More grown men shedding tears, that’s for sure.—
Vinson Cunningham,
New Yorker,
2 June 2026
Verb
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This includes people who do not know each other and who did not coordinate with one another to gather all somehow separately, hearing about Manhattanhenge (or simply stumbling across the crowd) and enjoying the view together.—
Chelsea Gohd,
Space.com,
1 June 2026
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The video then shows Henderson stumbling towards a wall in the area, where someone can be seen calling for help.—
Brittney Ermon,
CBS News,
31 May 2026
Verb
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In 2019, when Cattelan unveiled the work at the Art Basel Miami art fair in Florida, performance artist David Datuna grabbed the banana from the wall, before peeling and eating it in front of hundreds of stunned fair attendees.—
Jack Guy,
CNN Money,
3 June 2026
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Scratches, chips and peeling mean the coating is wearing down.—
Ryan Brennan
June 2,
Sacbee.com,
3 June 2026
Verb
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Shouting, slamming doors and feet stomping are some of the noises that concern many home bakers anxiously awaiting a baking cake.—
BestReviews,
Chicago Tribune,
29 May 2026
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As anyone who's come within a hundred miles of the city will tell you, Nashville is a live-music mecca, overflowing with boot-stomping, fiddle-playing entertainment.—
Kaitlyn Yarborough,
Southern Living,
24 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Sloughing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sloughing. Accessed 9 Jun. 2026.
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