1
as in cuts
to make (something) shorter or smaller with the use of a cutting instrument
he always shaves most of his hair off when the weather starts getting warmer
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in brushes
to pass lightly across or touch gently especially in passing
just shaved the concrete post as the car turned the corner
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of shaves
ABC News, 8 Apr. 2026
The Echo Spot shaves it down even further to a half-sphere and adds a handy little touch screen for visual information.
—K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 31 Mar. 2026
Perhaps this shaves off sharp edges around any conversation.
—Simon Hughes, New York Times, 11 Mar. 2026
One of the highlights is the bread cart rolled out at the beginning of the meal, right after the waiter shaves off a roll of unctuous French butter from a huge golden mound.
—Penny E Schwartz, Oc Register, 1 Mar. 2026
After consultations with superiors, the jail superintendent has sent for a barber, who shaves the man gently, making sure to clear the fuzz from his earlobes.
—Literary Hub, 20 Feb. 2026
In his 1939 version, William Wyler shaves away huge chunks of the story.
—Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 13 Feb. 2026
Witness as Guy Fieri shaves his iconic goatee and trades his frosty spikes for a sensible combover.
—Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 6 Feb. 2026
However, the new measurements, courtesy of NASA's Juno spacecraft that is currently orbiting Jupiter, shaves about five miles (8 km) off the equator and about 15 miles (24 km) off at the poles.
—Keith Cooper, Space.com, 4 Feb. 2026
Verb
In the first episode back, Cranston stands completely nude as Kaczmarek’s Lois shaves his back and nether regions.
—ABC News, 8 Apr. 2026
The Echo Spot shaves it down even further to a half-sphere and adds a handy little touch screen for visual information.
—K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 31 Mar. 2026
Perhaps this shaves off sharp edges around any conversation.
—Simon Hughes, New York Times, 11 Mar. 2026
One of the highlights is the bread cart rolled out at the beginning of the meal, right after the waiter shaves off a roll of unctuous French butter from a huge golden mound.
—Penny E Schwartz, Oc Register, 1 Mar. 2026
After consultations with superiors, the jail superintendent has sent for a barber, who shaves the man gently, making sure to clear the fuzz from his earlobes.
—Literary Hub, 20 Feb. 2026
In his 1939 version, William Wyler shaves away huge chunks of the story.
—Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 13 Feb. 2026
Witness as Guy Fieri shaves his iconic goatee and trades his frosty spikes for a sensible combover.
—Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 6 Feb. 2026
However, the new measurements, courtesy of NASA's Juno spacecraft that is currently orbiting Jupiter, shaves about five miles (8 km) off the equator and about 15 miles (24 km) off at the poles.
—Keith Cooper, Space.com, 4 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shaves
Verb
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His point cuts to the core of what makes this different from anything a Cold War-era analyst would recognize.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
19 Apr. 2026
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In the great marketing team at Warner Brothers, there’s a fantastic person there called Susie Shen who cuts the trailers.—
Alex Ritman,
Variety,
17 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Tokyo Stylez, Cardi’s hairstylist, brushes out a sleek brown hairpiece, and Erika la’ pearl, her makeup artist, dabs at Cardi’s face while the rapper scrolls through her phone, controlling the music.—
Jazmine Hughes,
Allure,
24 Mar. 2026
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When some chime in to say their doctors had been cautiously optimistic about treatments, Sarah brushes that aside.—
Gerald Witt,
AJC.com,
1 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The third round of voting trims the field to four restaurants.—
Susan Stapleton,
Des Moines Register,
25 Mar. 2026
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The Yale Repertory Theatre is using a 2019 adaptation by Frank Galati, which takes the standard Derek Prouse translation which has been around nearly as long as Ionesco original French script and trims it judiciously for maximum theatrical impact.—
Christopher Arnott,
Hartford Courant,
18 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Points are awarded by zone, from 0 to 5; gutter balls subtract a point, while a ball that kisses the stake earns a perfect 10.—
Brittany Anas,
Denver Post,
3 Apr. 2026
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Robert Ballard hugs and kisses family members before deployment.—
Jasmine Arenas,
CBS News,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Joe Rodon clips a pass over the top of the Brentford defence for Calvert-Lewin to contest.—
Beren Cross,
New York Times,
25 Mar. 2026
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The holder clips right to your pack or waders and keeps everything in a neat, easy-to-dispense stack.—
Francesca Krempa,
Outside,
23 Dec. 2025
Noun
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The proteinmaxxers leapt on the buffet, heaping spoonfuls of hummus and shreds of rotisserie chicken onto paper plates.—
Sam Stone,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
9 Apr. 2026
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Microplastics are tiny and sometimes invisible shreds of plastic that can be produced by the breakdown of plastic, the shedding of clothing fibers, manufacturing processes, and more.—
Lauren J. Young,
Scientific American,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Those who are approved will receive a total of 18 free lawn mows from April through October, a set number each month, with no further scheduling or calls needed, according to an email from the city.—
Aurora Beacon-News,
Chicago Tribune,
11 Feb. 2026
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With its 5Ah battery, the Goat mows over 5,000 square feet per charge and gets back to work after just 45 minutes of charging.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
4 Aug. 2025
Noun
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There is also a Purpurea cultivar with violet leaves.—
Joshua Siskin,
Oc Register,
16 Apr. 2026
-
Look for larvae on the undersides of leaves.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
16 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Shaves.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shaves. Accessed 20 Apr. 2026.
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