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
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Recent Examples of paring
Stephanie Ganz, Southern Living, 7 July 2025
Using a sharp paring knife, start at the head end, and slice lengthwise along the back about three-fourths of the way through (do not cut all the way through), following the natural groove.
—Sabrina Weiss, People.com, 4 July 2025
Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 18 Sep. 2025
The feat was accomplished through various TV rights, corporate sponsorship and a reliance on existing venues, paring infrastructure costs.
—R. Daniel Foster, Forbes.com, 17 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for paring
Noun
Use a sharp paring knife to cut 4 slits in the top crust for steam to escape.
—Stephanie Ganz, Southern Living, 7 July 2025
Using a sharp paring knife, start at the head end, and slice lengthwise along the back about three-fourths of the way through (do not cut all the way through), following the natural groove.
—Sabrina Weiss, People.com, 4 July 2025
Verb
In response, companies are paring back.
—Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 18 Sep. 2025
The feat was accomplished through various TV rights, corporate sponsorship and a reliance on existing venues, paring infrastructure costs.
—R. Daniel Foster, Forbes.com, 17 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for paring
Recent Examples of Synonyms for paring
Noun
-
Service members stationed in the Pacific recently received notice that enlistees with shaving waivers will not be allowed to attend Hegseth’s upcoming Camp Humphreys rally, according to military site Task & Purpose.—
Brian Niemietz,
Mercury News,
29 Oct. 2025
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Even as the weather gets chillier and bare-skin season winds down, hair removal—via shaving, trimming, or lasering—remains a year-round habit for many of us.—
Lily Wohlner,
Allure,
22 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
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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
Noun
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And then there is the guilty past alluded to in those clippings, the memory of which frequently strikes her down with debilitating pain and nausea.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
3 Oct. 2025
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Officers who went to Sellers’s house found a collection of newspaper clippings from the time frame in which Lee was found dead.—
Olivia B. Waxman,
Time,
19 Sep. 2025
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
Noun
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Jeff Clanagan painted a picture of a landscape in which movie stardom is no longer protected by traditional channels, as attention splinters across platforms and audiences fragment.—
Josh Rottenberg,
Twin Cities,
31 Dec. 2025
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The paper also prevents wear and tear on the wood surface and keeps small splinters from snagging delicate clothing.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
25 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
Really, this is only a sliver of a joke.—
Luca Evans,
Denver Post,
7 Nov. 2025
-
About 1 foot from the shoot tip, make a 1 to 2 inch incision along the stem and through a bud to create a wedge; prop the wedge open with a sliver of wood such as a toothpick.—
Luke Miller,
Better Homes & Gardens,
6 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Paring.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/paring. Accessed 9 Jan. 2026.
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