as in shedding
to cast (a natural bodily covering or appendage) aside
a crab molts its shell as it grows larger
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Recent Examples of molting
On the Sonora stage Sunday, the 22-year-old Newark rapper-producer who arrived at the current screaming catharsis via a circuit of molting SoundCloud-era microgenres was at once dangerously commanding and euphoric while tearing through highlights from last year’s Revengeseekerz.
—
Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 21 Apr. 2026
Why Emperor Penguins Are Declining Emperor penguins depend on stable Antarctic sea ice for breeding, raising chicks and molting for at least nine months of the year.
—Hanna Wickes, Charlotte Observer, 9 Apr. 2026
Chicks that haven't grown in their waterproof feathers are the main victims of the drownings, but the lack of sea ice also affects molting adults, who need ice as a safe place to regrow their swimming feathers, per The Guardian.
—Joyann Jeffrey, PEOPLE, 9 Apr. 2026
Here, Jaffe softens the borders between his dual interests in electronic music and jazz, crafting compositions that are constantly molting and emerging anew.
—Dash Lewis, Pitchfork, 20 Dec. 2025
Extreme drought is causing breeding grounds, molting spots and migration stopover sites to vanish.
—The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 7 Aug. 2025
Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 21 Apr. 2026
Why Emperor Penguins Are Declining Emperor penguins depend on stable Antarctic sea ice for breeding, raising chicks and molting for at least nine months of the year.
—Hanna Wickes, Charlotte Observer, 9 Apr. 2026
Chicks that haven't grown in their waterproof feathers are the main victims of the drownings, but the lack of sea ice also affects molting adults, who need ice as a safe place to regrow their swimming feathers, per The Guardian.
—Joyann Jeffrey, PEOPLE, 9 Apr. 2026
Here, Jaffe softens the borders between his dual interests in electronic music and jazz, crafting compositions that are constantly molting and emerging anew.
—Dash Lewis, Pitchfork, 20 Dec. 2025
Extreme drought is causing breeding grounds, molting spots and migration stopover sites to vanish.
—The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 7 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for molting
Verb
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Fromowitz said rapid weight loss pushes follicles into the shedding phase.—
Cindy Krischer Goodman,
Sun Sentinel,
25 Apr. 2026
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In late 2025, officials announced archaeologists had uncovered a cache of bullets fired during the Battle of Culloden, shedding new light on its final moments.—
Andrea Margolis,
FOXNews.com,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The peeling wallpaper in the bedroom of Nataliia and Valerii’s apartment on Lesi Ukrainky Street in Pripyat.—
Lizzie Johnson,
New Yorker,
25 Apr. 2026
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Starting low and building up gives your skin time to develop tolerance without the irritation, peeling or redness that can come from using retinoids too aggressively.—
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
24 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Molting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/molting. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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