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
as in hitting
to deliver a blow to (someone or something) usually in a strong vigorous manner
the pitch clipped the batter's helmet with enough force to knock it clean off his head
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of clipping
José Criales-Unzueta, Vanity Fair, 7 Mar. 2026
With the help of that tiny clipping of moss, the defendants were eventually convicted of desecrating human remains in 2015.
—Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 5 Mar. 2026
Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 Apr. 2026
On Friday, March 27, Tiger Woods allegedly attempted to overtake a turning truck pulling a pressure cleaner at a high rate of speed before clipping the back of the truck with his Land Rover.
—Andrew McCarty, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for clipping
Noun
One of them wore a dress with what looked like a clipping of a poster placed diagonally across her dress like a Miss Universe sash.
—José Criales-Unzueta, Vanity Fair, 7 Mar. 2026
With the help of that tiny clipping of moss, the defendants were eventually convicted of desecrating human remains in 2015.
—Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 5 Mar. 2026
Verb
Smart mowing tactics can eliminate clipping litter, too.
—Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 Apr. 2026
On Friday, March 27, Tiger Woods allegedly attempted to overtake a turning truck pulling a pressure cleaner at a high rate of speed before clipping the back of the truck with his Land Rover.
—Andrew McCarty, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for clipping
Recent Examples of Synonyms for clipping
Noun
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While no actual showers are possible, each astronaut has a personal kit including no-rinse shampoo, baby wipes, toothbrushes and shaving accessories.—
Jacopo Prisco,
CNN Money,
7 Apr. 2026
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While some users questioned the logic behind the move, others were particularly alarmed by the environment in which the shaving took place.—
Maria Azzurra Volpe,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Bangladesh has launched fresh measures to curb energy consumption, cutting office hours and trimming public spending as conflict in the Middle East disrupts global fuel markets and strains power supply in the South Asian nation.—
Max Burman,
NBC news,
3 Apr. 2026
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After trimming the board’s budget for 2026, Meta plans to further reduce funding in 2027 and 2028, and potentially stop paying for it entirely after that, Platformer reports.—
Jon Martindale,
PC Magazine,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Shannon scored 29 points in the second half, hitting five of seven 3-point shots.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
9 Apr. 2026
-
Dodgers hitting coach Robert Van Scoyoc said Pages has become one of the team’s most regular users of the Trajekt machine – and Skenes is a frequent visitor.—
Bill Plunkett,
Oc Register,
9 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Only a portion of the Moon is visible in frame below, with its curved edge revealing a bright sliver of sunlight returning after nearly an hour of darkness.—
Eric Berger,
ArsTechnica,
7 Apr. 2026
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Every second, that rice-sized sliver sifts through billions of bits of data on 20 watts of power.—
Philip Moyer,
Fortune,
7 Apr. 2026
Verb
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That the Illini couldn’t complete their comeback attempt despite cutting it to four in the final minutes was dismaying.—
Colleen Kane,
Chicago Tribune,
5 Apr. 2026
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There was a ribbon-cutting ceremony a couple of hours before the game, gigantic scissors slicing a pink ribbon.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
5 Apr. 2026
Verb
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That means going beyond slapping a flag on packaging in November.—
Peter Su,
Rolling Stone,
1 Apr. 2026
-
Mirković took a straight line toward Wagler, slapping his hand and then bringing him in for a long hug — two freshmen raised 5,000 miles apart who came together to help the Illini reach their first Final Four since 2005.—
Colleen Kane,
Chicago Tribune,
1 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The alternately gloomy and euphoric pop songs cut and paste snippets of UK pirate radio culture and New York’s Paradise Garage.—
Aimee Cliff,
Pitchfork,
3 Apr. 2026
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Those remarks gained steam on social media on Friday, when the watchdog Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance posted a video of the snippet.—
Lance Reynolds,
Boston Herald,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Williams allegedly became involved in a physical altercation with the K-9 and multiple officers, punching the dog several times in the head and body, Caruso said.—
Justin Muszynski,
Hartford Courant,
8 Apr. 2026
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Just like anything short of getting back to the conference finals and punching a ticket to The Big Dance will be grounds for termination for the Knicks roster as currently constructed.—
Kristian Winfield,
New York Daily News,
7 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Clipping.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clipping. Accessed 11 Apr. 2026.
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