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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 States can help by pruning occupational licensing requirements and making credentials modular and stackable, so short qualifications add up into longer ones. — Eric Kutcher, Fortune, 11 Oct. 2026 It’s been a dynamic year with a varied complexion of transactions, from mega-mergers to portfolio pruning through corporate divestitures. — Kathryn Hopkins, Footwear News, 9 Oct. 2026 Avoid pruning fuchsias in fall because fresh cuts leave branches vulnerable to frost and disease. — Sarah Everett, The Spruce, 7 Oct. 2026 Root-pruning a mature tree before the move increases the tree’s chances of survival. — Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 2 Oct. 2026 Big companies like UnitedHealth Group, Humana, and others are chasing higher profits by pruning benefits, after investors grew dissatisfied with margins that were smaller than the insurers had promised. — Bob Herman, STAT, 1 Oct. 2026 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 Fall pruning can stimulate tender new growth that is easily killed by cold. — Pam Rosendal, Denver Post, 27 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pruning
  1. shaving
  2. trimming
  3. cutting
  4. clipping
  5. mowing
Verb
  • Men in some communities stop shaving, while women may remove their jewelry.
    — Shushan Karapetian, The Conversation, 19 Oct. 2026
  • Like almost winning a race, almost shaving a second off my time for the 3200m run, my event in high school, the one that got me into college, a recruit for someone else to gamble on.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of shaving
Verb
  • The Legislature has been trimming home building regulations and should continue.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 26 Oct. 2026
  • During the winter holidays, millions of people are traveling, many of whom are expected at the Thanksgiving table or tree-trimming party.
    — Andrea Sachs, Washington Post, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of trimming
Verb
  • The plans were developed by the Department of Government Efficiency, a cost-cutting team initially overseen by billionaire Elon Musk, in response to a presidential order meant to rid the government of DEI programs.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 30 Oct. 2026
  • Following its 2015 merger, the company adopted an aggressive cost-cutting mandate that leadership reported hitting, quarter after quarter, ahead of schedule.
    — Amer Al Ahbabi, Forbes.com, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of cutting
Verb
  • Their eulogy was her father, Fidel Banda, methodically clipping and arranging the flowers for his daughter.
    — Jesse Bedayn, Los Angeles Times, 25 Oct. 2026
  • Not your average road dog, Berlant only recently began taking a notebook onstage and clipping her work for social media.
    — Matt Grobar, Deadline, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of clipping
Verb
  • One skeleton is mowing right over another, while others tend to buckets of slime, climb on the larger figures and play around the yard.
    — Patrick Connolly, The Orlando Sentinel, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Instead, lawn-mowing machines shred them, leaving plastic fragments in the soil for a very long time.
    — Maryna Holovnova, New Atlas, 16 Oct. 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 Nov. 2026.

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