pruning shears
noun
US
: a garden tool that is used for cutting off the branches of trees and bushes
a pair of pruning shears
Examples of pruning shears in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
With a pair of pruning shears or loppers, remove dead, damaged, or diseased wood,cutting these vines back to healthy growth or the base of the plant.
—
Leanne Potts, Better Homes & Gardens, 10 Mar. 2026
Always sanitize your pruning shears with rubbing alcohol to prevent the spread of pathogens.
—Sj McShane, Martha Stewart, 10 Mar. 2026
Use clean scissors or pruning shears to cut stems just below a leaf node.
—Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 2 Mar. 2026
Using a pair of sharp, clean pruning shears or scissors, cut the top part of your succulent off where the leggy growth begins.
—Cori Sears, The Spruce, 9 Feb. 2026
Bypass pruning shears are versatile and should be sharpened on the outside edge of the blade.
—Paul Cappiello, Louisville Courier Journal, 30 Jan. 2026
Disinfect pruning shears, saws, loppers and other cutting tools before and between plants to avoid spreading diseases and pests from one plant to the next.
—Nan Sterman, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Dec. 2025
In the fall, the workers trade in their pruning shears for knives sharp enough to skin a deer in minutes.
—Craig Shoup, Nashville Tennessean, 28 Nov. 2025
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Leanne Potts, Better Homes & Gardens, 10 Mar. 2026
Always sanitize your pruning shears with rubbing alcohol to prevent the spread of pathogens.
—Sj McShane, Martha Stewart, 10 Mar. 2026
Use clean scissors or pruning shears to cut stems just below a leaf node.
—Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 2 Mar. 2026
Using a pair of sharp, clean pruning shears or scissors, cut the top part of your succulent off where the leggy growth begins.
—Cori Sears, The Spruce, 9 Feb. 2026
Bypass pruning shears are versatile and should be sharpened on the outside edge of the blade.
—Paul Cappiello, Louisville Courier Journal, 30 Jan. 2026
Disinfect pruning shears, saws, loppers and other cutting tools before and between plants to avoid spreading diseases and pests from one plant to the next.
—Nan Sterman, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Dec. 2025
In the fall, the workers trade in their pruning shears for knives sharp enough to skin a deer in minutes.
—Craig Shoup, Nashville Tennessean, 28 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pruning shears.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pruning%20shears. Accessed 25 Mar. 2026.
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