as in to shave
to make (something) shorter or smaller with the use of a cutting instrument
pared the stray branches on the tree
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Recent Examples of pare
Wembanyama returned to help pare the deficit to 73-63.
—
CBS News, 1 Jan. 2026
Gold futures entered the year trading at around $2,640 a troy ounce and hit a record high of more than $4,500 in December before paring some gains and trading at around $4,327.
—John Towfighi, CNN Money, 31 Dec. 2025
Specifically, people may have received new and improved items for the holidays and are looking to pare back a bit.
—Sarah Lyon, Southern Living, 31 Dec. 2025
The newlywed kept things pared back, choosing a look that felt relaxed enough for a winter stroll.
—Daisy Maldonado, InStyle, 29 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pare
CBS News, 1 Jan. 2026
Gold futures entered the year trading at around $2,640 a troy ounce and hit a record high of more than $4,500 in December before paring some gains and trading at around $4,327.
—John Towfighi, CNN Money, 31 Dec. 2025
Specifically, people may have received new and improved items for the holidays and are looking to pare back a bit.
—Sarah Lyon, Southern Living, 31 Dec. 2025
The newlywed kept things pared back, choosing a look that felt relaxed enough for a winter stroll.
—Daisy Maldonado, InStyle, 29 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pare
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pare
Verb
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Piza’s research showed that ShotSpotter alerts shaved off roughly 90 seconds from Kansas City police response time, but did not minimize gun violence or improve solve rates for cases occurring in the area where it is installed.—
Ben Wheeler,
Kansas City Star,
12 Jan. 2026
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They are created by taking a lamb or sheep pelt and tanning its hide—that would be the sheepskin part of the equation—while also shaving down its wool, aka, the shearling, to a uniform length.—
Eric Twardzik,
Robb Report,
12 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Carolina cut the lead 17-14 at halftime after a 1-yard touchdown run by Hubbard and a 16-yard scramble by Young, the second-longest TD run of his career.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
11 Jan. 2026
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This same staff cut him to make room for a waiver-wire claim before the start of the 2024 season.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
11 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Kondrat suggests trimming off the rotten, mushy tissue and letting the plant and soil dry out for 2 weeks or so.—
Leanne Potts,
Better Homes & Gardens,
15 Jan. 2026
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Adhere to Best Practices When Cutting As with trimming the branches of trees that overhang your property, make your cuts with an eye to the health of the bush.—
David Beaulieu,
The Spruce,
15 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pare.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pare. Accessed 18 Jan. 2026.
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