as in to shave
to make (something) shorter or smaller with the use of a cutting instrument
pruned the dead branches from the old apple tree
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Recent Examples of prune
Elizabeth tracks Tanner’s alias Derek Ward to the flower shop Thorny Blooms and finds Tanner violently pruning flowers.
—
Barry Levitt, Time, 28 Aug. 2025
Fruit: Summer pruning is recommended once fruit trees have put on more than two feet of growth during the season.
—Joshua Siskin, Oc Register, 15 Aug. 2025
The company aims to target the most physically punishing tasks, like pruning and harvesting, while preserving jobs farm workers enjoy.
—Tina Li, Sacbee.com, 5 Aug. 2025
If the damage is confined to a section of the cucumber vine, prune the broken stems back to the nearest leaf node or branch, and your plant should send out new growth soon.
—Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 26 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for prune
Barry Levitt, Time, 28 Aug. 2025
Fruit: Summer pruning is recommended once fruit trees have put on more than two feet of growth during the season.
—Joshua Siskin, Oc Register, 15 Aug. 2025
The company aims to target the most physically punishing tasks, like pruning and harvesting, while preserving jobs farm workers enjoy.
—Tina Li, Sacbee.com, 5 Aug. 2025
If the damage is confined to a section of the cucumber vine, prune the broken stems back to the nearest leaf node or branch, and your plant should send out new growth soon.
—Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 26 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for prune
Recent Examples of Synonyms for prune
Verb
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Last week, the Congressional Budget Office estimated that tariffs would shave trillions of dollars off the federal budget deficit.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
29 Aug. 2025
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Per a Vogue cover story earlier this month, the actress’ head was shaved in real time during a scene in the movie.—
Jack Smart,
People.com,
28 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Initially lined up outside, Chiefs defensive end Chris Jones quickly cut inside to beat the right tackle.—
Pete Sweeney,
Kansas City Star,
6 Sep. 2025
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On the northeast of the fire, by Sugar Pine Mountain, crews worked in steep, inaccessible terrain to bring containment lines into the natural rock bluff, trying to cut the fire off south of the Wishon Reservoir for the protection of the critical hydroelectric infrastructure.—
CA WILDFIRE BOT,
Sacbee.com,
6 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Undeterred, Rodgers connected on a five-yard touchdown pass to Jaylen Warren to trim the deficit to 26-24.—
Mike DeFabo,
New York Times,
8 Sep. 2025
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For his efforts, which also included spending more than $7,000 to trim trees and cut down two redwoods and a fir, he was rewarded with a certificate from the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety that persuaded his insurer to maintain his coverage.—
Ethan Baron,
Mercury News,
7 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Under the new process, property owners will still receive a notice when a violation occurs, but if the issue is not corrected within seven days, the Parks and Recreation Department will step in to mow or clean the property, the release states.—
NWA Democrat-Gazette,
Arkansas Online,
3 Sep. 2025
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Even though the weather is much more tolerable than in the hot summer months, once that fall feeling arrives, the end of mowing the grass for the year is in sight.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
2 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Prune.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prune. Accessed 11 Sep. 2025.
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