encrusts

verb

variants also incrusts
present tense third-person singular of encrust
as in smears
to cover with a hardened layer refrigerator shelves that were encrusted with the residue of many spills

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 encrusts These crustaceans, worms, fish, and others keep their home clean by grazing on the algae that encrusts seagrass leaves. — David George Haskell, Big Think, 27 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for encrusts
  1. smears
  2. coats
  3. cakes
  4. covers
Verb
  • Darker smears around the crater’s rim contain surface rocks and lunar dust called regolith previously altered by solar winds, micrometeorites, and cosmic radiation over an extended period of time.
    — Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 19 Aug. 2026
  • The atmosphere works on them a little bit harder and reduces their strength and smears them a little bit more.
    — Jacopo Prisco, CNN Money, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of smears
Verb
  • Also, if one coats the surface of a daguerreotype with a layer of gold, the colors shift more to the red side of the spectrum.
    — Jennifer Ouellette, ArsTechnica, 27 Oct. 2026
  • Mixing the flour with cold butter first coats the flour’s proteins, impeding the interaction between the water and the flour and reducing gluten development.
    — Melissa Weller, Bon Appetit Magazine, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of coats
Verb
  • The kids aren’t going to remember that mom made the birthday cakes herself.
    — Sean Joseph OutKick, FOXNews.com, 14 June 2026
Definition of cakes
Verb
  • The problem is that many business owners assume their personal auto policy fully covers these activities.
    — Kaitlyn Gomez, Miami Herald, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Before subscribing, compare the websites each service covers, its removal process, ongoing monitoring features and subscription costs.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of covers

Browse Nearby Words

encrusting
encrusts
encrypt
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Encrusts.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/encrusts. Accessed 30 Oct. 2026.

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