defoliate
verb
de·fo·li·ate
(ˌ)dē-ˈfō-lē-ˌāt 
defoliated; defoliating; defoliates
: to deprive of leaves especially prematurely
Black spot, which looks like its name, attacks leaves. Left untreated, it spreads and multiplies, and can defoliate the plant.—
Dave Dunn
Dave DunnJust two years after winds from Hurricane Iniki defoliated much of the island, towering eucalyptus and pine trees in this mountainside park are lush with new green leaves.—Jeff Phillips
Jeff PhillipsExamples of defoliate in a Sentence
a chemical used to defoliate trees
Insects are defoliating the trees.
Recent Examples on the Web
Only the Box Tree Moth caterpillars will defoliate the plants.
—Chris McKeown, The Enquirer, 10 Aug. 2024
These caterpillars will eat the foliage and defoliate a boxwood.
—Chris McKeown, The Enquirer, 10 Aug. 2024
For example, spongy moths may be virtually absent for years on end before appearing en masse and defoliating forests.
—Lauren Leffer, Popular Science, 4 July 2024
Both tomatoes were bred using West Virginia ’63 as the parent fruit and boasted resistance to late blight as well as to Septoria leaf spot, a defoliating disease that exposes the fruit to sunburn.
—Ashley Stimpson, Washington Post, 15 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for defoliate 
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Chris McKeown, The Enquirer, 10 Aug. 2024
These caterpillars will eat the foliage and defoliate a boxwood.
—Chris McKeown, The Enquirer, 10 Aug. 2024
For example, spongy moths may be virtually absent for years on end before appearing en masse and defoliating forests.
—Lauren Leffer, Popular Science, 4 July 2024
Both tomatoes were bred using West Virginia ’63 as the parent fruit and boasted resistance to late blight as well as to Septoria leaf spot, a defoliating disease that exposes the fruit to sunburn.
—Ashley Stimpson, Washington Post, 15 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for defoliate
Dictionary Entries Near defoliate
Cite this Entry
“Defoliate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/defoliate. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.
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