lopping (off)

Definition of lopping (off)next
present participle of lop (off)
as in shaving
to make (something) shorter or smaller with the use of a cutting instrument the hair stylist started by lopping off several inches from her long tresses, before beginning to shape what was left

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for lopping (off)
Verb
  • And the only questions she's getting asked are about shaving her head.
    Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 6 Nov. 2025
  • Another unit in Tsuen Wan, a residential neighborhood in the New Territories, was sold at a loss of $142,000, shaving 40% off the original price, according to local news reports.
    Chris Lau, CNN Money, 31 Oct. 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
  • Taken together, the findings suggest that fewer Americans may be drinking, but those who do may not be cutting back as dramatically as surveys focused solely on participation imply.
    Jason Mastrodonato, Mercury News, 6 Jan. 2026
  • That has included some districts cutting back specialist medical response teams, mental health crisis teams and heavy rescue teams, Watkins said.
    Nick Coltrain, Denver Post, 6 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • Trailing most of the game, Dallas couldn't get a fourth-quarter stop after trimming the deficit to three points with 10 minutes remaining.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 7 Jan. 2026
  • That’s in part by trimming the approval process.
    CalMatters, Daily News, 7 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • Melissa went on to tear through Cuba and the Bahamas before clipping Bermuda on its way out to sea.
    Anna Skinner, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Nov. 2025
  • Next to a wooden model of an ibis and a Brazil shirt signed by 1994 World Cup winner Ricardo Rocha is a small newspaper clipping.
    Jack Lang, New York Times, 11 Oct. 2025
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.

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Cite this Entry

“Lopping (off).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lopping%20%28off%29. Accessed 10 Jan. 2026.

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