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
Clara McMahon, PEOPLE, 28 Nov. 2025
Using sharp paring knife, cut four 1 1/2-inch long slits in top of dough (think of a clock for slit placement at 12,3,6,9 positions).
—Cathy Thomas, Oc Register, 13 Oct. 2025
CBS News, 20 Jan. 2026
But this is the year to adopt a different strategy of paring down.
—Jennifer Prince, Southern Living, 11 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for paring
Noun
This 13-piece knife set has six handy blades, including a large chef’s knife for chopping and a paring blade for smaller slices.
—Clara McMahon, PEOPLE, 28 Nov. 2025
Using sharp paring knife, cut four 1 1/2-inch long slits in top of dough (think of a clock for slit placement at 12,3,6,9 positions).
—Cathy Thomas, Oc Register, 13 Oct. 2025
Verb
The Titans interviewed 15 candidates for the job before paring down their finalists to Saleh, Kansas City offensive coordinator Matt Nagy and Green Bay defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley — who was hired earlier Monday as the Miami Dolphins' coach.
—CBS News, 20 Jan. 2026
But this is the year to adopt a different strategy of paring down.
—Jennifer Prince, Southern Living, 11 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for paring
Recent Examples of Synonyms for paring
Noun
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Shell's heart emoji is now evidence in one of the largest and most sweeping federal investigations into alleged point shaving in college sports.—
Scott MacFarlane,
CBS News,
22 Jan. 2026
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Bathroom and spa products are made from 100% natural ingredients, and dental and shaving kits are completely biodegradable.—
Grainne McBride,
Condé Nast Traveler,
22 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Beijing has responded with a flurry of economic pressure, including cutting flights and warning citizens against traveling to Japan.—
Chris Lau,
CNN Money,
25 Jan. 2026
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Last year marked a strong one for stock returns, despite a macroeconomic backdrop largely characterized by rising volatility amid escalating global tensions and a Federal Reserve rate cutting cycle.—
Lisa Kailai Han,
CNBC,
25 Jan. 2026
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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Nash kick-started things with a quick six points to open the third quarter, trimming it to a one-point game at 40-39.—
Brendan Connelly,
Boston Herald,
24 Jan. 2026
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This time, though, the Heat put together a 10-0 run as part of trimming the deficit to 103-92 entering the fourth.—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
23 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
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Elevating the area can also sharpen the contours of the philtrum and reveal a sliver of incisors when the lips are gently parted.—
Jolene Edgar,
Allure,
27 Jan. 2026
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Roseberry has the right instinct in looking to express that while aiming to find slivers of joy, too.—
José Criales-Unzueta,
Vanity Fair,
26 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Paring.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/paring. Accessed 30 Jan. 2026.
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