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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 pruning
The process of pruning involves removing dead, diseased, damaged, or crossing branches that can attract pests and be an entryway for diseases.
—
Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 7 Nov. 2025
Getting the timing right is key because pruning daylilies at the wrong time can make plants flower less.
—Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 5 Nov. 2025
Compost, mulch, and microbial balance are as much a part of the firm’s services as pruning roses or planting containers.
—Nia Bowers, USA Today, 28 Oct. 2025
This easy task is known as thumb pruning and facilitates keeping the bush open to air and sun.
—Rita Perwich, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Jan. 2025
Work pruning and removing trees began in the fall and is expected to be finished in early Spring 2025, officials said.
—Samantha Moilanen, Chicago Tribune, 2 Jan. 2025
During sleep, scientists suspect that our bodies and brains are replenishing energy stores, flushing waste and toxins, pruning synapses and consolidating memories.
—Marla Broadfoot, Smithsonian Magazine, 26 Dec. 2024
Just as pruning stimulates new plant growth, releasing what no longer serves us creates space for fresh opportunities.
—Jennifer Kamara, Forbes, 26 Dec. 2024
Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 7 Nov. 2025
Getting the timing right is key because pruning daylilies at the wrong time can make plants flower less.
—Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 5 Nov. 2025
Compost, mulch, and microbial balance are as much a part of the firm’s services as pruning roses or planting containers.
—Nia Bowers, USA Today, 28 Oct. 2025
This easy task is known as thumb pruning and facilitates keeping the bush open to air and sun.
—Rita Perwich, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Jan. 2025
Work pruning and removing trees began in the fall and is expected to be finished in early Spring 2025, officials said.
—Samantha Moilanen, Chicago Tribune, 2 Jan. 2025
During sleep, scientists suspect that our bodies and brains are replenishing energy stores, flushing waste and toxins, pruning synapses and consolidating memories.
—Marla Broadfoot, Smithsonian Magazine, 26 Dec. 2024
Just as pruning stimulates new plant growth, releasing what no longer serves us creates space for fresh opportunities.
—Jennifer Kamara, Forbes, 26 Dec. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pruning
Verb
-
And the only questions she's getting asked are about shaving her head.—
Patrick Ryan,
USA Today,
6 Nov. 2025
-
Another unit in Tsuen Wan, a residential neighborhood in the New Territories, was sold at a loss of $142,000, shaving 40% off the original price, according to local news reports.—
Chris Lau,
CNN Money,
31 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Tidy it up, trimming off any leggy, weak winter growth.—
Leanne Potts,
Better Homes & Gardens,
10 Nov. 2025
-
Arrange soaked ladyfingers in a single layer in bottom of an 8-inch square baking dish, trimming or breaking ladyfingers as needed to fit.—
Amanda Holstein,
Southern Living,
9 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
In 2022, debris from an underwater volcanic eruption severed the island's only subsea communication cable, cutting the island off from the rest of the world.—
Magdalena Petrova,
CNBC,
8 Nov. 2025
-
Richard’s motor ran high despite the lopsided score, cutting for two layups and also canning a 3-pointer to put up a quick seven points in the period.—
Joseph Dycus,
Mercury News,
8 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Melissa went on to tear through Cuba and the Bahamas before clipping Bermuda on its way out to sea.—
Anna Skinner,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Nov. 2025
-
Next to a wooden model of an ibis and a Brazil shirt signed by 1994 World Cup winner Ricardo Rocha is a small newspaper clipping.—
Jack Lang,
New York Times,
11 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Cormican and sheriff’s deputies spent that afternoon traveling back and forth across the lake at about four miles an hour, as if mowing a lawn, pulling the towfish on a cable behind them.—
Jamie Thompson,
The Atlantic,
6 Nov. 2025
-
The gang starts getting creepy, threatening notes right as Ghostface shows up and starts mowing local teens down.—
Declan Gallagher,
Entertainment Weekly,
31 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pruning.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pruning. Accessed 13 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share