paring 1 of 2

noun

Definition of paringnext
as in shaving

Related Words

Relevance

paring

2 of 2

verb

present participle of pare
as in cutting
to make (something) shorter or smaller with the use of a cutting instrument pared the stray branches on the tree

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of paring
Noun
Just as the interior of the house may benefit from a paring down for selling, so too could the yard. — Patricia Shannon, Southern Living, 19 June 2026 Roast for about 1 hour, or until the potatoes are soft when pierced with a sharp paring knife and beginning to ooze. — The Washington Post, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 May 2026
Verb
Oil prices fell around 2% on hopes that Saudi Arabia was moving to restore about half of crude shipments within days after they were disrupted by the stoppage of its East-West pipeline to the Red Sea, before paring losses. — September 18, CBS News, 18 Sep. 2026 But not all paring knives are designed the same, some have longer handles, some have narrow blades, some really can’t be sharpened. — Jesse Raub, Bon Appetit Magazine, 14 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for paring
Recent Examples of Synonyms for paring
  1. shaving
  2. cutting
  3. clipping
  4. trimming
  5. splinter
  6. sliver
Noun
  • Taking shorter showers and turning off the tap while brushing teeth or shaving.
    — Caroline Foreback, CBS News, 5 Oct. 2026
  • Britney Ever After bounces around in time, cycling through the bullet points of her life in the public eye, from her overnight teen superstardom to her relationship with Justin Timberlake to her infamous head-shaving incident.
    — Sezin Devi Koehler, Entertainment Weekly, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of shaving
Verb
  • Leslie took issue with a recent stunt Kennedy had pulled at the hospital, which involved making a surprise appearance for a ribbon-cutting ceremony to open his signature vaccine injury clinic.
    — Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Stephanie Keith | Bloomberg | Getty Images American Express is cutting thousands of employees as the leading credit card company prepares for artificial intelligence to take over more of its internal processes.
    — Hugh Son, CNBC, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of cutting
Noun
  • Her digital-first mentality, bolstered by reshares and organic clipping from fans online, is exactly what helped an A&R at Artist House discover her on TikTok last year.
    — Lyndsey Havens, Billboard, 16 Sep. 2026
  • While basic clipping remains a popular marketing method, creators often hire these editors to make meatier videos — whether short-form or hour-long podcasts.
    — Andrew Zucker, HollywoodReporter, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of clipping
Verb
  • The younger Bolsonaro's other proposals include trimming the size of the Brazilian state to boost economic growth.
    — Carrie Kahn, NPR, 23 Oct. 2026
  • But new technologies are opening the door to transition a portion of the inputs from petrochemicals to plants, trimming the environmental impact of these fibers.
    — Fairchild Studio, Footwear News, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of trimming
Noun
  • From there, Bono and McDaid did a rewrite of the lyrics to make it about a mother watching her family splinter, and, the magazine says, Parton agreed to sing the new Bono/McDaid version of her tune.
    — Chris Willman, Variety, 24 Sep. 2026
  • Pushing those briars aside revealed a single splinter of stained glass, bright as a ruby and warm as blood.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 22 Sep. 2026
Definition of splinter
Noun
  • The number of transgender girls in school sports is believed to be a sliver of the total participants.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Underneath the sweater, a sliver of a classic white T-shirt peeks out at the hem, breaking up the color block.
    — Karla Rodriguez, Footwear News, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of sliver

Browse Nearby Words

pariahs
paring
parings
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Paring.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/paring. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of grotesque

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
different halloween monsters in silhouette
A Monstrous Vocab Quiz Words That Go Bump in the Night
See All