clipping 1 of 2

clipping

2 of 2

verb

present participle of clip
1
as in trimming
to make (something) shorter or smaller with the use of a cutting instrument a mother who's sad to see her little boy's curls clipped for the first time

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

2

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 clipping
Noun
Use a rake to remove any debris such as grass clippings, leaves, branches, and twigs and to de-thatch areas where dry, brown grass prevents water and sun from reaching the soil. Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 8 Sep. 2025 The Ewpjdk 4-Pack Garden Pruning Shears come with four pruning shears for the price of one and are versatile enough to take on all kinds of fall pruning tasks, like harvesting, clipping, deadheading, and cutting off the final fruits of the season, before winter comes. Stephanie Osmanski, Better Homes & Gardens, 7 Sep. 2025
Verb
The Afloia 6-in-1 Dog Grooming Kit is like a pet spa at home, turning you into their personal groomer for trimming hair, clipping nails, and more. Christine Persaud, USA Today, 4 Oct. 2025 Like NexLawn's upcoming Vidar robo-mowers, the futuristic rover will navigate the garden using LiDAR and vision sensors while clipping the grass. New Atlas, 11 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for clipping
Recent Examples of Synonyms for clipping
Noun
  • Service members stationed in the Pacific recently received notice that enlistees with shaving waivers will not be allowed to attend Hegseth’s upcoming Camp Humphreys rally, according to military site Task & Purpose.
    Brian Niemietz, Mercury News, 29 Oct. 2025
  • Even as the weather gets chillier and bare-skin season winds down, hair removal—via shaving, trimming, or lasering—remains a year-round habit for many of us.
    Lily Wohlner, Allure, 22 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Tidy it up, trimming off any leggy, weak winter growth.
    Leanne Potts, Better Homes & Gardens, 10 Nov. 2025
  • Arrange soaked ladyfingers in a single layer in bottom of an 8-inch square baking dish, trimming or breaking ladyfingers as needed to fit.
    Amanda Holstein, Southern Living, 9 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • Tire tread depth - Checking your tire tread before hitting the road is important, as low or no tread can lead to sliding.
    NC Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 9 Nov. 2025
  • After an incompletion on third down, McCashland’s 25-yard field goal attempt was no good, hitting the right upright with 17 seconds remaining in the half.
    Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 9 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • Really, this is only a sliver of a joke.
    Luca Evans, Denver Post, 7 Nov. 2025
  • About 1 foot from the shoot tip, make a 1 to 2 inch incision along the stem and through a bud to create a wedge; prop the wedge open with a sliver of wood such as a toothpick.
    Luke Miller, Better Homes & Gardens, 6 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • In 2022, debris from an underwater volcanic eruption severed the island's only subsea communication cable, cutting the island off from the rest of the world.
    Magdalena Petrova, CNBC, 8 Nov. 2025
  • Richard’s motor ran high despite the lopsided score, cutting for two layups and also canning a 3-pointer to put up a quick seven points in the period.
    Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 8 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • The van reaches home ground and no one talks and the only sound along that final stretch is El Camello slapping himself to scare away mosquitoes.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 7 Nov. 2025
  • First, rather than slapping a latex mask and makeup on Schuster-Koloamatangi, performance capture technology is used to have Dek’s face come alive with the actor’s expressions.
    Brian Truitt, USA Today, 6 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • Listen to snippets of the songs.
    NPR, NPR, 5 Nov. 2025
  • The two other successful movies of the summer of 1976 were That’s Entertainment, Part 2, a movie composed of snippets from lots of old movies, and All the President’s Men.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 4 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • Miami's defense has struggled to keep opponents out of the end zone, allowing 27 points per game, but the offense has struggled just as much punching it in themselves, with the Dolphins only scoring 20 points per game, both of which rank in the bottom third of the league.
    Shaun McAvoy, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2025
  • Videos shared on social media showed federal agents pinning a man to the ground and punching him in the head.
    Zoe Sottile, CNN Money, 3 Nov. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Clipping.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clipping. Accessed 20 Nov. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on clipping

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!