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Recent Examples of defoliate
In addition to being unsightly, the caterpillars can partially defoliate and weaken the plants.
—
Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 12 June 2025
Plants can defoliate all their leaves before any sign of the disease is obvious.
—Rita Perwich, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 June 2025
Thielen noted that the three St. Louis County wildfires were zero percent contained as of early Tuesday afternoon, and that the dry and windy conditions Tuesday and Wednesday are conducive to wildfire spread in an area heavily defoliated by the spruce budworm.
—Katie Rohman, Twin Cities, 13 May 2025
This bright red insect can severely defoliate these lilies.
—Pamm Cooper, Hartford Courant, 10 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for defoliate
Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 12 June 2025
Plants can defoliate all their leaves before any sign of the disease is obvious.
—Rita Perwich, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 June 2025
Thielen noted that the three St. Louis County wildfires were zero percent contained as of early Tuesday afternoon, and that the dry and windy conditions Tuesday and Wednesday are conducive to wildfire spread in an area heavily defoliated by the spruce budworm.
—Katie Rohman, Twin Cities, 13 May 2025
This bright red insect can severely defoliate these lilies.
—Pamm Cooper, Hartford Courant, 10 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for defoliate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for defoliate
Verb
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All of the carcasses that washed ashore had been skinned, Cole said, with some missing their front paws.—
Francie Ebert,
NBC news,
3 Apr. 2026
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In tight spaces where a straight driver can't complete a full rotation, that elbow geometry is the difference between finishing the job and abandoning it after hurting your wrist, skinning your knuckles, and questioning your life choices.—
Omar Kardoudi
March 05,
New Atlas,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
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In the book, Turrubiate-Simpson questioned why the dogs weren't barking near the kennel right before the murders are thought to have taken place.—
KC Baker,
PEOPLE,
14 May 2026
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But investigators eventually cracked the passcode on Paul Murdaugh’s phone and found a video with a barking dog and Alex Murdaugh’s voice admonishing it five minutes before the young man stopped using his phone.—
Jeffrey Collins,
Los Angeles Times,
13 May 2026
Verb
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Recipe information If using ¾ cup hulled barley, rinse in a mesh sieve under running water.—
Rebecca Firkser,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
23 Apr. 2026
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The corn is dried, hulled, and ground to create the coarse meal known as grits.—
Lisa Cericola,
Southern Living,
10 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Just husk the corn, remove the silk and grill those cobs naked so they’re lightly charred, sweet, slightly crisp with a roasty popcorn taste.—
Beth Dooley,
Boston Herald,
20 Aug. 2025
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Examples include chopping bee, husking bee, logging bee, quilting bee, house- or barn-raising bee, sewing bee, spinning be, and, ultimately, spelling bee.—
Richard Lederer,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 June 2025
Verb
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Dwight grabbed my arm, wrenching my hand out of my pocket, flaying it like a fish, pulling me along.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
15 May 2026
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Dent remarks that his stuffed hams, flayed open, stuffed with greens and steamed til they are cooked through, are a source of pride for the restaurant.—
Katie Riley,
Southern Living,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
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From a narrowly military-strategic perspective, China will benefit from the fact that more U.S. forces may shift from the Asia-Pacific into the Middle East, and U.S. military munitions stocks are likely to be further denuded.—
Lyle Goldstein,
Chicago Tribune,
17 Mar. 2026
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Groomers complain about owners who, instead of troubling themselves with the daily brushing and regular cuts that low-shedding coats require, allow their dog’s coat to develop painful mats that have to be shaved off, then yell at the groomer for denuding their fur baby.—
John Seabrook,
New Yorker,
16 Mar. 2026
Verb
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But on March 4, hours before the evacuation was announced, the Russians started shelling the depot.—
James Verini,
The Atlantic,
12 May 2026
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The 16-way adjustable sport seats are standard, while performance seats shelled in carbon fiber—presenting more aggressive thigh and shoulder bolsters—are optionally available.—
Bradley Iger,
Robb Report,
8 May 2026
Verb
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The bay structure may represent overlapping gas flows where the outer edge of the spiral intersects with material stripped from the smaller cluster during the collision, according to the study.—
Sharmila Kuthunur,
Space.com,
20 May 2026
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Republicans are reworking the language but may be forced to strip it over a lack of support from rank-and-file members.—
Ramsey Touchberry,
The Washington Examiner,
20 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Defoliate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defoliate. Accessed 22 May. 2026.
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