1
as in cutting
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
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in brushing
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 shaving
The Editors, Robb Report, 4 Oct. 2025
Most shaving waivers are for troops diagnosed with pseudofolliculitis barbae, or PFB, a condition in which hair curls back into the skin after shaving and causes irritation.
—Dave Smith, Fortune, 17 Sep. 2025
Bailey Richards, PEOPLE, 25 Oct. 2025
Boston College men's basketball point-shaving scandal One of the clearest examples of La Cosa Nostra's reach in sports was the 1978-79 scandal involving Boston College and two associates of the Lucchese crime family.
—Paulina Dedaj, FOXNews.com, 24 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shaving
Noun
Biggest mistake men make when shaving?
—The Editors, Robb Report, 4 Oct. 2025
Most shaving waivers are for troops diagnosed with pseudofolliculitis barbae, or PFB, a condition in which hair curls back into the skin after shaving and causes irritation.
—Dave Smith, Fortune, 17 Sep. 2025
Verb
People have filmed themselves shaving their heads, damaging property, ripping up passports and setting themselves on fire, The Sun reported, citing Ekaterina Mizulina, head of the Safe Internet League.
—Bailey Richards, PEOPLE, 25 Oct. 2025
Boston College men's basketball point-shaving scandal One of the clearest examples of La Cosa Nostra's reach in sports was the 1978-79 scandal involving Boston College and two associates of the Lucchese crime family.
—Paulina Dedaj, FOXNews.com, 24 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shaving
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shaving
Noun
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And then there is the guilty past alluded to in those clippings, the memory of which frequently strikes her down with debilitating pain and nausea.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
3 Oct. 2025
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Officers who went to Sellers’s house found a collection of newspaper clippings from the time frame in which Lee was found dead.—
Olivia B. Waxman,
Time,
19 Sep. 2025
Verb
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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
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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
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Daily baguette runs to the local bakery – an errand that Anract says used to be as automatic and ritualistic as brushing teeth – have become less frequent.—
Vivian Song,
CNN Money,
8 Nov. 2025
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PetMD recommends making brushing as enjoyable for your dog as possible.—
BestReviews,
Mercury News,
7 Nov. 2025
Noun
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After cutting and trimming any splinters, place the stakes behind the trellis.—
Elizabeth Fogarty,
Better Homes & Gardens,
21 Oct. 2025
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The revelation felt like a splinter that lodged itself in Kai’s heart.—
Johnny Dodd,
PEOPLE,
11 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Tidy it up, trimming off any leggy, weak winter growth.—
Leanne Potts,
Better Homes & Gardens,
10 Nov. 2025
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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
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Jana, who is the oldest Duggar daughter, and Wissmann could be seen kissing in one photo and showing off Jana's growing bump in another.—
Kayla Grant,
PEOPLE,
6 Nov. 2025
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Avoiding close contact, such as kissing or sharing drinks, with anyone who has respiratory symptoms also can limit spread.—
Katia Hetter,
CNN Money,
6 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Really, this is only a sliver of a joke.—
Luca Evans,
Denver Post,
7 Nov. 2025
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About 1 foot from the shoot tip, make a 1 to 2 inch incision along the stem and through a bud to create a wedge; prop the wedge open with a sliver of wood such as a toothpick.—
Luke Miller,
Better Homes & Gardens,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
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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
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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
“Shaving.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shaving. Accessed 14 Nov. 2025.
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