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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Enola dutifully trudges between clues and possibilities, shuffling through crime scenes and racing around shady spaces, all of this much more paint-by-numbers than connect-the-dots.
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Colombia is trying its luck from distance, but Costa has been equal to each shot, first punching away Jefferson Lerma's rocket from the right, about 25 yards out, and then shuffling his feet to his left and catching Jhon Arias's shot from about the same distance.
Verb
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From shedding leaves, bark, berries, seeds, and sap year-round to causing your sidewalks and driveway to lift and shift, not all trees are suited for yards.
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Poodles are considered to be low-shedding dogs, in their toy, miniature and standard sizes.
Verb
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German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has also fallen foul of Germany’s World Cup elimination by Paraguay, after stumbling into a social media debacle following a communications blunder.
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There's been some stumbling plays, thwarted by tripping and dramatic falls.
Verb
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Messy Debris Some trees drop litter all through the year, from peeling bark to messy seed pods to staining berries.
-
The coating, supplied by Atlantic Industrial Coatings under a no-bid contract, began peeling after the pool was refilled, while bright green algae appeared as the president claimed without evidence that it had been vandalized.
Verb
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The name Chelydra serpentina evokes colossal reptiles stomping through ancient forests.
-
That feeling solidified during their solo date, which included stomping grapes, exploring a winery and making a promise to open a special bottle of wine together one year later.
Cite this Entry
“Sloughing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sloughing. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.
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