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
The film reunited him with Morrison, who played the head of a sheep-shearing family business in northeastern New Zealand in the 1950s.
—
Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Nov. 2025
At one point, Teddy’s hair had gotten so matted from the frequent licking that the vet had to partially sedate him and shear away most of his fur.
—Chandler Boese, Kansas City Star, 4 Nov. 2025
Some of these mountainsides have dislodged themselves deep in the bedrock, causing the face of a mountain to shear clean off — as has happened at least twice in the last two years.
—Ella Nilsen, CNN Money, 22 Oct. 2025
Moreover, plastic pulverization produces fine solids; keeping the enzyme in contact with all surfaces without shearing it to inactivity is an active research topic.
—Srishti Gupta, Interesting Engineering, 16 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shear
Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Nov. 2025
At one point, Teddy’s hair had gotten so matted from the frequent licking that the vet had to partially sedate him and shear away most of his fur.
—Chandler Boese, Kansas City Star, 4 Nov. 2025
Some of these mountainsides have dislodged themselves deep in the bedrock, causing the face of a mountain to shear clean off — as has happened at least twice in the last two years.
—Ella Nilsen, CNN Money, 22 Oct. 2025
Moreover, plastic pulverization produces fine solids; keeping the enzyme in contact with all surfaces without shearing it to inactivity is an active research topic.
—Srishti Gupta, Interesting Engineering, 16 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shear
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shear
Verb
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Millions of Americans are shaving down their grocery budgets and putting off buying a home as wages fail to meet rising costs of living.—
Emma Burleigh,
Fortune,
9 Jan. 2026
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Over the course of a full marathon, Salomon calculated the Phantasm 3 can shave up to 18 seconds from a pace of 2 hours and 6 minutes.—
Ian Servantes,
Footwear News,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
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If the experimenter reads the information about which slit the photon passed through, there will never be an interference pattern.—
Paul Sutter,
Space.com,
20 Dec. 2025
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Police say when an officer tried to detain him, Cooksey threatened to slit the officer's throat.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
19 Dec. 2025
Verb
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Carolina cut the lead 17-14 at halftime after a 1-yard touchdown run by Hubbard and a 16-yard scramble by Young, the second-longest TD run of his career.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
11 Jan. 2026
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This same staff cut him to make room for a waiver-wire claim before the start of the 2024 season.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
11 Jan. 2026
Verb
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There’s one more tip that will make slicing soft cheese simple.—
Sophia Beams,
Better Homes & Gardens,
9 Jan. 2026
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Grate it for a slaw, or add it thinly sliced to salads for a refreshing crunch.—
Dr. Steven Gundry,
CNBC,
9 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Vergara's plunging red corset gown was covered in beads and trimmed with feathers.—
Lara Walsh,
InStyle,
12 Jan. 2026
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The site does this by using AI tools coupled with Google Earth to find and measure the customer’s yard and come up with a price for basic mowing or premium services, which include trimming and weeding.—
Kathy Kristof,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
12 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Ellis had stolen the ball and ripped all hope from him and his offense on that play.—
Andrew Callahan,
Boston Herald,
12 Jan. 2026
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One person was taken into custody after a fire ripped through a synagogue in Mississippi, heavily damaging the historic house of worship in what authorities say was an act of arson.—
Charlotte Kramon,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Earlier in the night, Alisha Efimova and Misha Mitrofanov defended their pairs title despite a couple of mistakes, including a scary moment when Mitrofanov was nearly clipped by Efimova’s skate.—
Dallas Morning News,
Dallas Morning News,
9 Jan. 2026
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Late in the first, Hartman clipped former Gophers captain Ben Meyers in the Seattle offensive zone, and was whistled for tripping.—
Jess Myers,
Twin Cities,
9 Jan. 2026
Verb
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With the midterm elections looming, the pressure is on for the Fed to temporarily goose the economy by slashing interest rates.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
12 Jan. 2026
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The Statesman scooped a city memo detailing funding slashes to nonprofits, which said they were blindsided without notification of the cuts and given very little time to implement them.—
Austin American Statesman,
Austin American Statesman,
12 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Shear.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shear. Accessed 14 Jan. 2026.
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