Synonyms of molt

molt

verb

ˈmōlt 

as in to shed

to cast (a natural bodily covering or appendage) aside

a crab molts its shell as it grows larger

Synonyms & Similar Words

• shed
• peel
• discard
• slough
• ditch
• sluff
• exfoliate
• slip
• flake
• scale
• unload
• scrap
• jettison
• fling (off or away)
• throw away
• chuck
• throw out
• shuck (off)
• junk

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of molt

Much of the stag beetle's lifecycle is spent underground as a white grub molting into larger and larger forms before hatching in two to three years during the summer. —Ars Technica, 14 Jan. 2025

After molting out of the glaucothoe stage, the juvenile crab adopts a more crablike form and lives on the ocean floor full time, often seeking protection in complex habitats, such as rocky crevices, to avoid predation. —Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 10 Jan. 2025

As the year closes, Pesto is beginning his awkward teen years and molting his endearing fluff in favor of adult feathers meant for swimming. —Danielle Hall, Smithsonian Magazine, 24 Dec. 2024

So, my 18-day stint in March was at the tail end of the season (the best time to see penguin chicks is the middle of the Antarctic tourism season, late January through February) and filled with whales, molting penguins soon to migrate north, flocks of birds, and ample seals. —Dalton Johnson, Robb Report, 5 Dec. 2024