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
To achieve this, Lind made a mad-scientist-level, multi-stage gearbox with bespoke gears that transfers maximum torque to the single impeller in the middle without shearing the gears’ teeth off.
—
Brent Rose, Outside Online, 24 July 2025
Though Indian boarding schools still forcibly sheared children’s hair, Jones’s orders for adult men proved too noxious to enforce.
—Margaret Talbot, New Yorker, 21 July 2025
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
But since azaleas tolerate heavy pruning and respond by sending out new shoots all along remaining stems, the shrubs work well when sheared into a formal hedge.
—Luke Miller, Better Homes & Gardens, 7 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for shear
Brent Rose, Outside Online, 24 July 2025
Though Indian boarding schools still forcibly sheared children’s hair, Jones’s orders for adult men proved too noxious to enforce.
—Margaret Talbot, New Yorker, 21 July 2025
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
But since azaleas tolerate heavy pruning and respond by sending out new shoots all along remaining stems, the shrubs work well when sheared into a formal hedge.
—Luke Miller, Better Homes & Gardens, 7 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for shear
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shear
Verb
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Lush lumps of rock crab arrived in a flying saucer made of ice and covered with kohlrabi shaved thin as a layer of frost.—
Pam Kragen,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
10 Sep. 2025
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To get into character, the actor had to shave his head, wear a combover and adjust his posture to appear nearly a foot shorter in order to capture the American songwriter's physical appearance.—
Yamillah Hurtado,
PEOPLE,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
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That's when the state is planning to put Ralph Menzies to death for the murder of 25-year-old Maurine Hunsaker, a married mother of three who was found tied to a tree with her throat slit nearly 40 years ago.—
Amanda Lee Myers,
USA Today,
29 Aug. 2025
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When Rochelle Luna, 18, arrived at the house hours later, Djerf bound, gagged and raped her before stabbing her and slitting her throat, the brief said.—
Perry Vandell,
AZCentral.com,
20 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Others have cut bills by a factor of five.—
Matthew Kayser,
USA Today,
13 Sep. 2025
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Jobless claims hit their highest level since 2021 last week, adding to recent labor market revisions that have fueled confidence the Fed will cut rates in September.—
Eleanor Pringle,
Fortune,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The frigid air sliced through the open windows, bit the tips of my ears and my runny nose.—
Manuel Muñoz,
Literary Hub,
11 Sep. 2025
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Under Glasner, Palace have built attacks quickly to slice through the opponents, with Mateta either linking the moves or dashing forward to be in a goalscoring position.—
Ahmed Walid,
New York Times,
11 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Control expenses This means trimming or eliminating the costs that don’t directly impact growth, profitability, or long-term sustainability of your business.—
Melissa Houston,
Forbes.com,
14 Sep. 2025
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To save money in 2026, MetroConnect will drop some low-ridership zones, trim operating hours and impose a three-mile cap on trips, said Natalia Jaramillo, communications director for Levine Cava.—
Douglas Hanks,
Miami Herald,
13 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The drought grew to 41 2/3 innings before Crim ripped JP Sears’ first-pitch sweeper 439 feet to left-center, scoring Hunter Goodman and Jordan Beck, who opened the fourth with back-to-back singles.—
Patrick Saunders,
Denver Post,
13 Sep. 2025
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Cubs designated hitter Moisés Ballesteros ripped his first career home run right at Rizzo, who stepped up on top of the bleacher seats to make a play.—
Ryan Canfield,
FOXNews.com,
13 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Like NexLawn's upcoming Vidar robo-mowers, the futuristic rover will navigate the garden using LiDAR and vision sensors while clipping the grass.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
11 Sep. 2025
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Fixed a bug where allied player characters could clip through tombstones when Totem Stella was used.—
Oliver Brandt,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
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While the rest of Burning Man celebrated, Kruglov lay prostrate on the ground at a faraway campsite in a comparatively desolate section of Black Rock City, his throat slashed, as a puddle of blood congealed around his lifeless body.—
Denver Nicks,
Rolling Stone,
14 Sep. 2025
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The sharp drop in mortgage rates owes in part to government data showing a significant decline in hiring, which has heightened expectations that the Federal Reserve will slash interest rates and in turn put downward pressure on borrowing costs, some analysts told ABC News.—
Max Zahn,
ABC News,
13 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Shear.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shear. Accessed 15 Sep. 2025.
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