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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Recent Examples of pruning
When the soil is warm and dry and the last threat of frost has passed, focus on pruning, prepping and feeding your plants.
—
Alora Bopray, USA Today, 4 Apr. 2026
And how can people survive—maintain dignity, human connection, all of that—in a world where decision makers driven by dollar signs are pruning the trees for every possible efficiency?
—Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 3 Apr. 2026
Yiesla also warns that pruning during excessive heat can be stressful for trees, and should be avoided.
—Peg Aloi, The Spruce, 30 Mar. 2026
Be safe; have arborists do pruning of larger and older trees.
—Tom MacCubbin, The Orlando Sentinel, 28 Mar. 2026
Harder tasks, like pruning and repotting plants, offer more money.
—Angela Yang, NBC news, 20 Mar. 2026
If the tree has areas of dense growth, inward- or upright-growing shoots, or poor structure, pruning is in order.
—Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 14 Mar. 2026
In cold regions, pruning is often a must-do task to cut out the dead wood brought on by harsh winter conditions.
—Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 14 Mar. 2026
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
Alora Bopray, USA Today, 4 Apr. 2026
And how can people survive—maintain dignity, human connection, all of that—in a world where decision makers driven by dollar signs are pruning the trees for every possible efficiency?
—Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 3 Apr. 2026
Yiesla also warns that pruning during excessive heat can be stressful for trees, and should be avoided.
—Peg Aloi, The Spruce, 30 Mar. 2026
Be safe; have arborists do pruning of larger and older trees.
—Tom MacCubbin, The Orlando Sentinel, 28 Mar. 2026
Harder tasks, like pruning and repotting plants, offer more money.
—Angela Yang, NBC news, 20 Mar. 2026
If the tree has areas of dense growth, inward- or upright-growing shoots, or poor structure, pruning is in order.
—Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 14 Mar. 2026
In cold regions, pruning is often a must-do task to cut out the dead wood brought on by harsh winter conditions.
—Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 14 Mar. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pruning
Verb
-
With the war in Iran sending oil prices soaring, consumers under even more economic pressure may not be lured back by PepsiCo shaving less than a dollar off a snack bag.—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
7 Apr. 2026
-
Show off naturally curly hair without as much maintenance by shaving the sides with a close, short cut.—
Mary Shannon Wells,
Southern Living,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Bangladesh has launched fresh measures to curb energy consumption, cutting office hours and trimming public spending as conflict in the Middle East disrupts global fuel markets and strains power supply in the South Asian nation.—
Max Burman,
NBC news,
3 Apr. 2026
-
After trimming the board’s budget for 2026, Meta plans to further reduce funding in 2027 and 2028, and potentially stop paying for it entirely after that, Platformer reports.—
Jon Martindale,
PC Magazine,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
That the Illini couldn’t complete their comeback attempt despite cutting it to four in the final minutes was dismaying.—
Colleen Kane,
Chicago Tribune,
5 Apr. 2026
-
There was a ribbon-cutting ceremony a couple of hours before the game, gigantic scissors slicing a pink ribbon.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
5 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The war for attention has led to a boom in clipping, with some creators vying for a Netflix-billboards-on-Sunset-level land grab.—
Andrew Zucker,
HollywoodReporter,
9 Apr. 2026
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Such a determination would require new radiocarbon dating that overturns the original results, which would involve clipping and destroying another snippet of shroud—a step that the Vatican is unlikely to allow.—
Stephanie Pappas,
Scientific American,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
In the past decade, $15,745 of the county’s funds have been allocated to Billings Road work including inspections, weed eating and mowing the surrounding grass.—
Rachel Royster,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
9 Apr. 2026
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In that case, Enroth recommends moving around the plants or mowing high, around four inches, so the grass is cut, but the violets, for instance, stay intact.—
Yelena Moroz Alpert,
Architectural Digest,
8 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pruning.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pruning. Accessed 11 Apr. 2026.
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