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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lopping (off)
Verb
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Millions of Americans are shaving down their grocery budgets and putting off buying a home as wages fail to meet rising costs of living.—
Emma Burleigh,
Fortune,
9 Jan. 2026 -
Emma Stone Stone kicked off the year with a bang—or, rather, a pixie—after shaving her head for her role in Bugonia.—
Rachel Krause,
Vogue,
23 Dec. 2025
Verb
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The president argued that inflation was already low enough to start cutting rates.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
12 Jan. 2026
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Trump has repeatedly blasted Powell for the Fed not cutting interest rates as much and as quickly as the president has demanded since entering the White House in January 2025.—
Dan Mangan,
CNBC,
12 Jan. 2026
Verb
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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
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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
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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
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That’s in part by trimming the approval process.—
CalMatters,
Daily News,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Consumers' Checkbook recommends shopping specials by signing up for free loyalty programs and clipping digital coupons.—
Joshua Sidorowicz,
CBS News,
5 Jan. 2026
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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
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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 13 Jan. 2026.
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