variants
also slews
or slues
as in marshes
spongy land saturated or partially covered with water
the land for miles around the lake is strewn with ponds, sloughs, and mudflats
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
as in shuffles
to move heavily or clumsily
the unpleasant task of sloughing through the muck to retrieve the ball
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
variants
also sluffs
as in sheds
to cast (a natural bodily covering or appendage) aside
the snake is sloughing its old skin
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of sloughs
Madeleine Schulz, Vogue, 30 Apr. 2026
Hyperia then automatically slews to the target and performs an operation called astrometry – measuring the precise positions of stars to double-check its accuracy.
—New Atlas, 26 Jan. 2026
Explore a white-sand beach and the sinks, swales, and sloughs found within the 2,500-acre Suwannee River Water Management District.
—Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 5 Jan. 2026
They are found in a wide variety of habitats but prefer oak-cabbage palm hammocks, freshwater marshes and sloughs, pine flatwoods, and more open agricultural areas.
—Saman Shafiq, USA Today, 10 Sep. 2025
If something happens to the water, land or the sloughs that hold the wild rice beds, the tribe has nowhere else to go, Tsosie explained.
—Caitlin Looby, jsonline.com, 13 Aug. 2025
Find a general area where ducks seem to be frequenting and then mark the public sloughs and potholes that can’t be seen from the road.
—Alex Robinson, Outdoor Life, 6 Aug. 2025
Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 9 Apr. 2026
Primarily, there are beta hydroxy acids (BHAs) courtesy of lipo hydroxy acid (LHA), a deep-penetrating chemical exfoliant that gently sloughs off old, dead cells to reveal brighter, fresher skin.
—Tamim Alnuweiri, InStyle, 11 Mar. 2026
The stand collar is ideal for keeping the chill out, too, while a water-resistant fabric sloughs off rain and snow with ease.
—Michelle Tchea, Travel + Leisure, 12 Jan. 2026
This option by Neogen utilizes a three layer design, part of which is from 100% cotton mesh, that manually sloughs away dead skin cells.
—Conçetta Ciarlo, Vogue, 8 Oct. 2025
Noun
Any niche status went out the window years ago, as slews of more casual runners opt into the marathon experience.
—Madeleine Schulz, Vogue, 30 Apr. 2026
Hyperia then automatically slews to the target and performs an operation called astrometry – measuring the precise positions of stars to double-check its accuracy.
—New Atlas, 26 Jan. 2026
Explore a white-sand beach and the sinks, swales, and sloughs found within the 2,500-acre Suwannee River Water Management District.
—Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 5 Jan. 2026
They are found in a wide variety of habitats but prefer oak-cabbage palm hammocks, freshwater marshes and sloughs, pine flatwoods, and more open agricultural areas.
—Saman Shafiq, USA Today, 10 Sep. 2025
If something happens to the water, land or the sloughs that hold the wild rice beds, the tribe has nowhere else to go, Tsosie explained.
—Caitlin Looby, jsonline.com, 13 Aug. 2025
Find a general area where ducks seem to be frequenting and then mark the public sloughs and potholes that can’t be seen from the road.
—Alex Robinson, Outdoor Life, 6 Aug. 2025
Verb
Lactic acid is an alpha-hydroxy acid, which gently sloughs away dead skin cells to reveal softer, smoother skin.
—Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 9 Apr. 2026
Primarily, there are beta hydroxy acids (BHAs) courtesy of lipo hydroxy acid (LHA), a deep-penetrating chemical exfoliant that gently sloughs off old, dead cells to reveal brighter, fresher skin.
—Tamim Alnuweiri, InStyle, 11 Mar. 2026
The stand collar is ideal for keeping the chill out, too, while a water-resistant fabric sloughs off rain and snow with ease.
—Michelle Tchea, Travel + Leisure, 12 Jan. 2026
This option by Neogen utilizes a three layer design, part of which is from 100% cotton mesh, that manually sloughs away dead skin cells.
—Conçetta Ciarlo, Vogue, 8 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sloughs
Noun
-
The wetland spans about 428,000 hectares (1,600 square miles) of lagoons, mangroves and marshes — roughly the size of Los Angeles — and has been a UNESCO biosphere reserve since 2000.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
12 May 2026
-
Nearby, explore Anastasia State Park, a 1600-acre property brimming with wildlife, stunning beaches, maritime hammocks, and tidal marshes.—
Lisa A. Beach,
Southern Living,
10 May 2026
Verb
-
At the sound of morning prayers, an older Clarissa awakens from this dream and shuffles out to her lawn, where the leafy bush has been replaced with the industrial skyline of Lagos.—
Lovia Gyarkye,
HollywoodReporter,
16 May 2026
-
Tristan returns home and greets James while Siegfried shuffles the woman out the window.—
Alice Burton,
Vulture,
12 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The discovery sheds light on the English language’s wide diffusion, long before what was previously understood, Faulkner said in Rome, where the duo had traveled to view the text in person for the first time.—
Andrea Rosa,
Los Angeles Times,
18 May 2026
-
Coleman’s deposition, meanwhile, sheds new light on the investigation and on how cocaine is moved from The Bahamas into the United States, with South Florida — particularly Miami — serving as a key transit point.—
Jacqueline Charles,
Miami Herald,
18 May 2026
Noun
-
Earthrise rejected Becker’s arguments that the application does not properly identify wetlands that have been farmed.—
Alicia Fabbre,
Chicago Tribune,
13 May 2026
-
More than 350 bird species have been recorded in the park, so keep an eye out along the shore or in the wetlands.—
Patricia Doherty,
Travel + Leisure,
13 May 2026
Verb
-
Set during the summer of 1975, Sessa stars as a 19-year-old Bourdain who travels to Provincetown and stumbles into the chaotic world of a restaurant kitchen.—
Marc Malkin,
Variety,
15 May 2026
-
After an embarrassing encounter — Wells, working as a janitor, stumbles upon Graham naked in the locker room — the two make an arrangement.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
13 May 2026
Verb
-
Blending sharp humor, irreverent games and unexpected twists, each episode peels back the polished layers of today’s most talked about talent to reveal the human behind the fame… and no topic is off-limits.—
Todd Spangler,
Variety,
13 May 2026
-
Each new burst of observation, each refined model, peels back another layer, showing us just how dynamic and surprising the life of a star can be.—
Paul Sutter,
Space.com,
3 May 2026
Noun
-
The ‘banter’ era settled in, with every collapse, every disappointment, every failure amplified in the fever swamps of social media.—
Ian Crouch,
New Yorker,
20 May 2026
-
Whistling warblers and rat-tat-tatting woodpeckers accompanied the splish-splash of our kayak paddles through the Cache River Wetlands—one of the northernmost bald cypress swamps in the United States.—
Jess Hoffert,
Midwest Living,
15 May 2026
Verb
-
In the closing moments, Godzilla stomps his way to the Statue of Liberty, setting his sights on New York City.—
Jordan Moreau,
Variety,
14 Apr. 2026
-
Ellie stomps back to the crew mess to whine about it to Jenna and Ben.—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
10 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Sloughs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sloughs. Accessed 22 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
