slough 1 of 3

variants also slew or slue
as in marsh
spongy land saturated or partially covered with water the land for miles around the lake is strewn with ponds, sloughs, and mudflats

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slough

2 of 3

verb (1)

slough

3 of 3

verb (2)

variants also sluff
as in to shed
to cast (a natural bodily covering or appendage) aside the snake is sloughing its old skin

Synonyms & Similar Words

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How is the word slough different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of slough are cast, discard, junk, scrap, and shed. While all these words mean "to get rid of," shed and slough imply a throwing off of something both useless and encumbering and often suggest a consequent renewal of vitality or luster.

shed a bad habit
finally sloughed off the depression

When is it sensible to use cast instead of slough?

The words cast and slough can be used in similar contexts, but cast, especially when used with off, away, or out, implies a forceful rejection or repudiation.

cast off her friends

When might discard be a better fit than slough?

The meanings of discard and slough largely overlap; however, discard implies the letting go or throwing away of something that has become useless or superfluous though often not intrinsically valueless.

discard old clothes

How do scrap and junk relate to one another, in the sense of slough?

Both scrap and junk imply throwing away or breaking up as worthless in existent form.

scrap all the old ways
would junk our educational system

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 slough
Noun
The three-pronged approach removes makeup, sloughs off dead skin cells, and reduces the appearance of enlarged pores in a single step. Karina Hoshikawa, refinery29.com, 23 Aug. 2024 As sunflower oil plumps and conditions, salicylic acid sloughs away dead skin and pore-clogging sweat to reveal more radiant, bump-free skin after each wash. Lauren Dana Ellman, Allure, 30 Nov. 2024
Verb
These peels work by literally sloughing off the pigmented cells. Deanna Pai, Glamour, 19 Feb. 2025 Tretinoin kicks cellular turnover into high gear, sloughing away dead skin and revealing the fresh, healthy skin below, while helping prevent clogged pores and breakouts and fading discoloration and uneven texture like fine lines. Emily Orofino, Vogue, 5 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for slough
Recent Examples of Synonyms for slough
Noun
  • Florida's natural landscape includes bird-friendly sawgrass marshes, cypress forests, and seashore. Texas also has a diverse landscape, including the World Birding Center, a collection of nine parks and preserves in the Rio Grande Valley.
    Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 2 May 2025
  • Deinosuchus could then have spread across the continent to inhabit coastal marshes on both sides of the ancient inland sea, and along North America’s Atlantic coast.
    Mindy Weisberger, CNN Money, 23 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • Docent Deb Mossa will lead the 90-minute walk and will highlight the wetlands, wildlife and history of the lagoon.
    Ut Community Press, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 May 2025
  • Beavers have recolonized parts of the Bronx River and Staten Island, building dams and carving wetlands in places once written off as lost to development.
    Tony Bradley, Forbes.com, 13 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Slough.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/slough. Accessed 25 May. 2025.

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