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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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Counting every hour, every day until— Somewhere beyond the bar, a dog barked.—
Nick Romano,
Entertainment Weekly,
3 Apr. 2026
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At a minimum, my house would be filled with barking, and at a maximum, another dog could be stressed or even possibly hurt.—
Carolyn Hax,
Washington Post,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
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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
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Pine nuts can swap out for slivered or sliced almonds, or sunflower or hulled pumpkin seeds (pepitas).—
The Washington Post,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
25 Feb. 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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The apostle was believed to have met his martyrdom by being flayed alive.—
Virginia Raguin,
The Conversation,
19 Feb. 2026
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And So It Is reaches out: affective, intimate, and flayed open with a beating heart.—
Linnie Greene,
Pitchfork,
17 Feb. 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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Although gulf fritillaries can denude passion vines of all foliage, the leaves quickly grow back, and fruit development is not affected.—
Joshua Siskin,
Oc Register,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The Sudan Doctors Network, a group tracking the war, said the RSF and their allies shelled residential areas in the city amid dire humanitarian conditions.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
29 Mar. 2026
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The Sudan Doctors Network, a group tracking the war, said the RSF and its allies shelled residential areas in the city amid dire humanitarian conditions.—
Samy Magdy,
Los Angeles Times,
29 Mar. 2026
Verb
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That means each project begins with every nut, bolt, washer, and grommet being stripped off, labelled, photographed, bagged, and boxed.—
Simon de Burton,
Robb Report,
1 Apr. 2026
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McKinney says the move would give users more power to opt out and delete their data while stripping platforms of a key incentive to scoop up personal preferences in the first place.—
Nancy Dillon,
Rolling Stone,
1 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Defoliate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defoliate. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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