PRUNE Synonyms: 25 Similar and Opposite Words

prune

verb

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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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 prune Although all of the cars in the race had been pruned of windshield and fenders, even the exhaust system and muffler had been removed on these Fords so that four snub-nosed pipes jutted straight from the hood. —

Eric Moskowitz, The Atlantic, 31 May 2026 Some of this will get pruned during the SEC review. —

Drew Bernstein, Forbes.com, 21 May 2026 Paramount has steadily been pruning its real estate portfolio, exiting the former CBS headquarters (aka Black Rock), selling Television City in Los Angeles and making plans to leave Viacom’s longtime home in Times Square. —

Dade Hayes, Deadline, 21 May 2026 Hydrangeas fall into two basic pruning categories: those that bloom on old wood and those that bloom on new wood. —

Yelena Moroz Alpert, Architectural Digest, 20 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for prune

Recent Examples of Synonyms for prune

Verb

The discovery emerged from a quarry where commercial crews routinely shave away layers of rock, exposing relics hidden for millions of years.

— Stephen Sorace, FOXNews.com, 10 June 2026
In October, the feds announced a sweeping investigation into NBA point-shaving rings tied to the mafia.

— Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 8 June 2026