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 defoliate
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
Affected trees can be completely defoliated, giving a wintry appearance in summer.
—Erica Browne Grivas, Better Homes & Gardens, 12 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for defoliate
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
Affected trees can be completely defoliated, giving a wintry appearance in summer.
—Erica Browne Grivas, Better Homes & Gardens, 12 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for defoliate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for defoliate
Verb
-
Two Cornell students hunted and skinned a 120-pound bear inside a residence hall kitchen over the weekend, university personnel said.—
Greta Cross,
USA Today,
11 Sep. 2025
-
Candice and Glenn sent Parker and Madison to wash off their swamp smell, then did the dirty work of prepping and skinning the frogs.—
Sophie Hartley,
IndyStar,
9 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
There were female writers, women who were the lead supervising producers barking out the assignments and calling the shots.—
Rachel Burchfield,
Forbes.com,
11 Sep. 2025
-
Dogs can bark, but robots can talk back Even the most advanced quadruped robot on the market today can’t match a real dog’s innate sense of smell or its highly developed navigational instincts.—
Mack DeGeurin,
Popular Science,
11 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
To hull a strawberry: Grab a sharp paring knife with your dominant hand, gripping the blade with your index finger and thumb, and leave about 1 inch poking out.—
The Washington Post,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
25 June 2025
-
Uses include: Blend hulled seeds with oil to make homemade tahini sauce Put them in a vegetable slaw Sprinkle on to add an Asian twist to your recipes. 4.—
Nancy LeBrun,
Verywell Health,
11 June 2025
Verb
-
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
-
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
-
These include thinning fabric, stretching or sagging, holes, flaying, and heavy pilling.—
Gabi De la Rosa,
Southern Living,
1 July 2025
-
Separating fact from invention is difficult, but there have been rumors that there was more than one murderer, the killing was drug-related and — perhaps most disturbingly — that Driscoll was either dismembered or flayed alive.—
Alex Heigl,
People.com,
18 May 2025
Verb
-
And more recently, in the throes of a homeless crisis, city staff and law enforcement have removed and denuded trees to control the conditions on the street.—
Sam Bloch
August 8,
Literary Hub,
8 Aug. 2025
-
Trash burning and water shortages are a worsening blight, while the construction of upscale villas has denuded vegetation and exacerbated a perennial flooding problem.—
Charlie Campbell,
TIME,
17 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
The Sixers are shelling it out for theirs.—
Nelson Espinal,
MSNBC Newsweek,
9 Sep. 2025
-
Carefully slide the spoon between the whites and shell and apply light pressure to separate the two.—
Cody Godwin,
USA Today,
4 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Just days into his Senate campaign, James Talarico is making his Christian faith a centerpiece of what will be an uphill battle to strip one of Texas’s Senate seats out of the hands of Republicans.—
Lauren Green,
The Washington Examiner,
13 Sep. 2025
-
Athletes are often defined by their times, medals, and records, but stripping back their impact to numbers can be reductive, particularly in Fraser-Pryce’s case.—
Liam Tharme,
New York Times,
13 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Defoliate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defoliate. Accessed 16 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share