SLOUGHING Synonyms: 67 Similar and Opposite Words

sloughing 1 of 2

verb (1)

present participle of slough

as in shuffling

to move heavily or clumsily the unpleasant task of sloughing through the muck to retrieve the ball

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

sloughing

2 of 2

verb (2)

variants also sluffing

present participle of slough

as in shedding

to cast (a natural bodily covering or appendage) aside the snake is sloughing its old skin

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 sloughing

Verb

Out toward the edge, the star would boil unstably, sloughing off outer layers and explosively ejecting mass. — Quanta Magazine, 14 Sep. 2026 It’s also packed with a slew of cleansing agents that are known for effectively sloughing away gunk while being gentle enough not to damage the skin barrier. — Tamim Alnuweiri, InStyle, 1 Sep. 2026 The leader of his country’s Socialist Party, Rama came to power in 2013, as Albania was still sloughing off its insular identity. — Isaac Stanley-Becker, The Atlantic, 23 July 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

Green tea was served by gang members shuffling around in slippers.

— Ian Buruma, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026
Ivey and his partner persuaded the Crockfords dealer to rotate the high-value cards 180 degrees before shuffling them back into the pack, citing some obscure superstition as justification.

— Kit Chellel, Fortune, 5 Oct. 2026

Definition of shuffling

Verb

Against that backdrop, the royal visit signals that Spain is shedding its longstanding reluctance to send its monarchs to the exclaves, Amirah-Fernández said.

— JOSEPH WILSON, Arkansas Online, 14 Oct. 2026
Polartec is updating its Alpha active insulation platform with a patent-pending construction designed to address snagging and shedding as brands increasingly use the material as a visible or standalone layer.

— Alexandra Harrell, Footwear News, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of shedding

Verb

Big banks made changes to overdraft fees and fraud protections following previous testimony, for example, while former Wells Fargo CEO John Stumpf abruptly resigned in 2016 after stumbling during hearings on the bank’s fake accounts scandal.

— Reuters, NBC news, 13 Oct. 2026
In an era of geotags and influencers, there’s something deeply satisfying about stumbling upon a place that still feels like a secret.

— Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 12 Oct. 2026

Definition of stumbling

Verb

There is also paint chipping and peeling above exterior door near ware washing area.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 12 Oct. 2026
The State Russian Museum revealed that the museum’s specialists repaired areas of peeling, applying primer and paint across the entire surface of the canvas and completed the restoration with a varnish coating.

— Hikmat Mohammed, ARTnews.com, 6 Oct. 2026