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
Sheep are shearing the land under solar panels to benefit two industries
As solar power’s land needs grow, more ranchers are turning to agrivoltaics.
—
Troy Aidan Sambajon, The Christian Science Monitor, 17 Mar. 2025
Megalodon likely fed with immense force, using its powerful jaws to shear through its prey’s thick bones and flesh.
—Melissa Cristina Márquez, Forbes, 8 Mar. 2025
Commonly sheared to create a formal hedge or neatly clipped into a topiary, Japanese holly is a unique, fast-growing holly.
—Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 19 Feb. 2025
Avoid shearing the plants back to the same size each year.
—Tom MacCubbin, Orlando Sentinel, 1 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shear
Troy Aidan Sambajon, The Christian Science Monitor, 17 Mar. 2025
Megalodon likely fed with immense force, using its powerful jaws to shear through its prey’s thick bones and flesh.
—Melissa Cristina Márquez, Forbes, 8 Mar. 2025
Commonly sheared to create a formal hedge or neatly clipped into a topiary, Japanese holly is a unique, fast-growing holly.
—Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 19 Feb. 2025
Avoid shearing the plants back to the same size each year.
—Tom MacCubbin, Orlando Sentinel, 1 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shear
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shear
Verb
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In a campus webinar Wednesday, Duke Executive Vice President Daniel Ennis and Antwan Lofton, its VP for human resources, summarized some of the actions Duke has taken or will be introducing in the coming weeks to shave costs.—
Michael T. Nietzel,
Forbes.com,
1 May 2025
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Legislators may also take up legislation this year to shave off some of the tax revenue the state currently collects from property insurers and redirect it toward a grant program for fire-resistant roofs and vegetation management work.—
CalMatters,
Mercury News,
30 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Rolling the pastry around the carrots and sealing the ends creates the traditional Wellington shape; decorative slits in the dough add visual interest and allow steam to escape while the log cooks.—
Kendra Vaculin,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
3 Apr. 2025
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Then, fearing he'd be blamed, Tripp stole a knife from the office of pastry chef Didier Gotthard (Bronson Pinchot) and used it to slit A.B.'s wrists in order to make his death look more like a suicide.—
Megan McCluskey,
TIME,
21 Mar. 2025
Verb
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With the new order, Trump is threatening to cut federal funds to cities and states his Administration decides are blocking his mass deportation effort.—
Brian Bennett,
Time,
29 Apr. 2025
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The state says the rule is crucial to meeting greenhouse gas emission reduction targets and cutting smog-forming pollutants.—
David Shepardson,
USA Today,
29 Apr. 2025
Verb
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The wall slices through the home, guiding you from the open-air atrium to indoor living spaces, all wrapped in sliding glass and shadow play.—
Abby Montanez,
Robb Report,
25 Apr. 2025
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Landeskog initially hurt his right knee during the 2020 playoffs, when it was sliced by teammate Cale Makar’s skate after the defenseman had fallen to the ice.—
Mark Lazerus,
New York Times,
24 Apr. 2025
Verb
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With trade tensions spooking price-sensitive consumers and high-flying decision-makers within their ranks, airlines are trimming costs, capacity, and expectations — all while hoping for smoother skies ahead.—
Catherine Baab,
Quartz,
24 Apr. 2025
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Bank of America did trim its forecast to $21 from $22, though that is still roughly 53% above Wednesday’s close.—
Brian Evans,
CNBC,
24 Apr. 2025
Verb
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After the draft, Beane went on offense by ripping critics who thought Buffalo should have done more to address the receiver position (the team waited until the seventh round to select one and later signed Elijah Moore).—
Mike Sando,
New York Times,
1 May 2025
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Terrance Culbreath, 53, was killed in a March 11 fire that ripped through his apartment on Van Nostrand Ave.—
Joseph Wilkinson,
New York Daily News,
1 May 2025
Verb
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In recent national headlines were a fatal crash of a tour helicopter in New York, a small plane that crashed in Florida and two commercial jets that clipped wings at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.—
Jeanine Santucci,
USA Today,
19 Apr. 2025
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More storms in Kansas City area’s forecast The weather service said additional storms are expected to develop Thursday afternoon and evening to the north in Nebraska and Iowa, possibly clipping northern Missouri.—
Robert A. Cronkleton,
Kansas City Star,
17 Apr. 2025
Verb
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The Trump administration wants to significantly cut NASA’s budget next year, slashing science research funding in half, a reduction that would halt the launch of a high-tech space telescope and curtail other planetary exploration missions.—
George Petras,
USA Today,
22 Apr. 2025
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Nimmo is slashing mere .202/.253/.381 this season, but Sunday’s heroics could be a sign of changing fortune.—
James O'Connell,
New York Daily News,
20 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Shear.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shear. Accessed 4 May. 2025.
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