1
as in to shave
to make (something) shorter or smaller with the use of a cutting instrument
it took almost a week to shear all the wool off the flock of sheep
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to slit
to penetrate with a sharp edge (as a knife)
the shark's razor-sharp teeth sheared the swimmer's flesh right down to the bone
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of shear
Shrubs used as screens can be easily sheared into straight hedges, perfect for the side of driveways, sidewalks, and houses.
—
Markis Hill, Kansas City Star, 18 July 2025
In that case, the Tesla's sensors failed to recognize a tractor-trailer crossing the highway and collided with it, shearing the top off the car and killing Banner.
—Jonathan M. Gitlin, ArsTechnica, 18 July 2025
Instead of shearing the entire plant, consider removing one-third of the oldest and woodiest stalks at the base.
—Arkansas Online, 18 July 2025
The speed at which an object orbits a planet depends on its distance from that world, and Saturn’s ring was so wide that the inner edge would orbit much more rapidly than its outer edge, which would shear anything solid apart.
—Phil Plait, Scientific American, 17 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for shear
Markis Hill, Kansas City Star, 18 July 2025
In that case, the Tesla's sensors failed to recognize a tractor-trailer crossing the highway and collided with it, shearing the top off the car and killing Banner.
—Jonathan M. Gitlin, ArsTechnica, 18 July 2025
Instead of shearing the entire plant, consider removing one-third of the oldest and woodiest stalks at the base.
—Arkansas Online, 18 July 2025
The speed at which an object orbits a planet depends on its distance from that world, and Saturn’s ring was so wide that the inner edge would orbit much more rapidly than its outer edge, which would shear anything solid apart.
—Phil Plait, Scientific American, 17 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for shear
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shear
Verb
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Bypassing the extensive zoning and civil engineering foundational work required for new structures can shave off months, if not years, from the overall project timeline.—
Dr. Dick Bridy,
Forbes.com,
15 Aug. 2025
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There is no law against eating, reading, adjusting the radio or shaving your body while driving.—
Miami Herald Archives,
Miami Herald,
13 Aug. 2025
Verb
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The material is lightweight with short sleeves and slits on each side that provide a great cooling effect when walking.—
Kristin Braswell,
Travel + Leisure,
20 July 2025
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The blouse features a hint of a collar, soon-to-be-trending frog enclosures, and slits on the sleeves that mimic the trousers.—
Kathleen Walsh,
Glamour,
9 July 2025
Verb
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But after Russia’s defeat at the hands of the British in the costly 1854-56 Crimean War, Tsar Nicholas II decided to cut his losses and relinquish the difficult-to-defend Alaska.—
Dan Morrison,
USA Today,
14 Aug. 2025
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An ability to get the products overland from Guyana’s capital, Georgetown, will cut weeks and substantial costs out of that supply chain.—
David Blackmon,
Forbes.com,
14 Aug. 2025
Verb
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To make this má là pig ear recipe, the ears are braised then thinly sliced, their cartilage softening into noodle-like ribbons.—
Jessica Liang,
Saveur,
6 Aug. 2025
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Just as eerie is its sound design, which evocatively captures, for instance, the squish of a scalpel slicing through alien flesh.—
Judy Berman,
Time,
5 Aug. 2025
Verb
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To see if your rose bush is dying or just dormant, trim a cane that looks dead and cut away some of the bark.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
7 Aug. 2025
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In the case of the plastic eel, trim the tail to a slim taper.—
Anthony A. Ciuffa,
Outdoor Life,
7 Aug. 2025
Verb
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His left leg, almost ripped from his body, was held in place only by thin tissue.—
Michael Collins,
USA Today,
18 Aug. 2025
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Nothing rips me out of the ‘cassette futurism’ of this franchise more than clips from a movie that released in 2002.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
16 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Some of them clip on to an existing vent or use a suction cup mount to stay in place.—
Keenan Thompson,
USA Today,
12 Aug. 2025
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The dog wears a special harness that allows unfettered movement, which is clipped to a bungee line attached to the human’s running waist belt.—
Ula Chrobak,
Outside,
9 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Federal grants for another pathway into teaching, Americorps’ Teach for America program, were also recently slashed by the Trump administration.—
Rory Linnane,
jsonline.com,
7 Aug. 2025
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Even at a later point, a constituent said the president unilaterally slashed medical research at the National Institutes of Health and Congress did nothing.—
Obed Manuel,
NPR,
7 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Shear.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shear. Accessed 21 Aug. 2025.
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