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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
-
Consumers' Checkbook recommends shopping specials by signing up for free loyalty programs and clipping digital coupons.—
Joshua Sidorowicz,
CBS News,
5 Jan. 2026
-
On straight paths, tracking is solid, but switchbacks and dense forests increase the risk of losing sight of the subject—or clipping a tree.—
Graham Averill,
Outside,
1 Jan. 2026
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.
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.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share