pruning

verb

present participle of prune
as in shaving
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 pruning Like many bulbs, lilies store nutrients in their bulbs over winter, so pruning too early can reduce next year’s blooms of these perennial flowers. — Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 28 Sep. 2026 Unfolding through a single, intimate scene, the film brings together a group of people quietly pruning bonsai trees in unison. — Stephen Garner, Footwear News, 28 Sep. 2026 Gregory Hair, the founder and managing director of SLIDE Living, also recommends pruning your hibiscus lightly. — Jane Kim, The Spruce, 26 Sep. 2026 These premium fruits also often require methodical techniques to ensure their signature characteristics, like the precise amount of sunlight or the timing of pruning. — Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 19 Sep. 2026 Some plants provide winter interest or food for wildlife, so delay pruning until spring. — Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 16 Sep. 2026 As cheaper models become uneconomic to produce, manufacturers are pruning them from their line-ups, pushing the overall market higher. — Celestine Iyer, CNBC, 11 Sep. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pruning
  1. shaving
  2. trimming
  3. cutting
  4. clipping
  5. mowing
Verb
  • After finally shaving his beard off, Colbert concluded the interview by gifting Kimmel something special from his show.
    — Abid Rahman, HollywoodReporter, 16 Sep. 2026
  • Colbert had no hesitation about taking the tool to his facial hair, shaving it off and returning to his recognizable clean-shaven look.
    — Michelle Lee, PEOPLE, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of shaving
Verb
  • But while the wider economy has come under pressure, with inflation hovering above 4% and the government trimming its economic growth forecasts, Brazil has also been an economic beneficiary of higher oil prices as a net oil exporter.
    — Chloe Taylor,Thomas Da Graca Barlow, CNBC, 2 Oct. 2026
  • The hair architect responsible for trimming Lawrence’s texture on Tuesday has not yet been revealed.
    — Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of trimming
Verb
  • This change is apparent in the fact that European governments, too, are cutting funding for religious freedom advocacy.
    — Matthew Schmitz, Washington Post, 2 Oct. 2026
  • In a sign of growing staff unrest over the steady stream of cost-cutting announcements across the BBC, some workers made their feelings known on a Microsoft Teams call earlier this week.
    — Jake Kanter, Deadline, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of cutting
Verb
  • The sequence stylistically excises itself from the episode as though clipping it, anticipating its excision from the show when uploaded to a video-sharing platform.
    — Harmon Siegel, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2026
  • Decades later, a relative sent Dottie a newspaper clipping about the Foster study, which included an archival photo of her grandmother.
    — Julian Lucas, New Yorker, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of clipping
Verb
  • Raised roots make mowing more difficult and can be damaged by mower blades.
    — Tricia Goss, Southern Living, 28 Sep. 2026
  • Maintenance is easy, just mowing the grass and inspecting the pond.
    — Doug Ross, Chicago Tribune, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of mowing

Browse Nearby Words

prunes
pruning
prurience
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Cite this Entry

“Pruning.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pruning. Accessed 3 Oct. 2026.

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