prunes

verb

present tense third-person singular of prune
as in shaves
to make (something) shorter or smaller with the use of a cutting instrument pruned the dead branches from the old apple tree

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 prunes Cadet, who spent several years working as a florist, prunes the thick green stems of the faux lilies and roses. — Elly Fishman, Vogue, 8 May 2026 Van Tassel prunes her tomatoes throughout the season for better air circulation. — Lauren David, Southern Living, 3 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for prunes
  1. shaves
  2. cuts
  3. trims
  4. clips
  5. crops
Verb
  • Its ceramic blades easily tackle coarse hair and its waterproof design makes in-shower shaves a breeze.
    — Sara Coughlin, Allure, 5 July 2026
  • Zillow says that a pale pink bathroom could lose you up to $6,013, while a pale pink kitchen shaves an extra $4,201 off potential buyers' offers.
    — Sophia Beams, Better Homes & Gardens, 24 June 2026
Definition of shaves
Verb
  • The camera cuts intermittently to a speculative montage of her inner experience.
    — Ara H. Merjian, ARTnews.com, 16 Aug. 2026
  • The show then cuts, ending the first episode in a cliffhanger.
    — Gene Maddaus, Variety, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of cuts
Verb
  • Sovereign-adjacent platforms in Australia, private credit desks, insurance capital, and trading firms are now funding compute demand that exists whether or not any single hyperscaler trims its budget.
    — Jon Markman, Forbes.com, 9 Aug. 2026
  • Your steady focus turns play into practice, while your patience trims perfectionism and lets authentic joy take the stage.
    — Tarot.com, The Orlando Sentinel, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of trims
Verb
  • All of my essentials are packed in my Stowaway, which clips into my weekender as a bag organizer, and can clip out to be worn on its own as a crossbody when walking around during the day or as a clutch when going out in the evening.
    — Elly Leavitt, Vogue, 16 July 2026
  • This compact tote folds into a small pouch that clips directly onto your keys and expands into a functional bag when needed.
    — Corein Carter, Forbes.com, 29 May 2026
Definition of clips
Verb
  • Scrolling through Reddit and X feels claustrophobic because the screen aggressively crops out so much content.
    — Kimberly Gedeon, PC Magazine, 3 Aug. 2026
  • When a user uploads a photo, the algorithm locates the bee, crops the image and compares it to our database.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 14 Nov. 2025
Definition of crops

Browse Nearby Words

pruned
prunes
pruning
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Cite this Entry

“Prunes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prunes. Accessed 20 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on prunes

Nglish: Translation of prunes for Spanish Speakers

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