1
as in shaved
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 sliced
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 sheared
On Thursday morning, in the parking lot of what was a Family Dollar store in Lake Village, there were still pieces of sheetrock, tree limbs, and pieces of debris — including lots of bricks that appeared to have been sheared right off.
—
Lauren Victory, CBS News, 12 Mar. 2026
Abelias lose their natural, graceful appearance when pruned or sheared heavily.
—Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 22 Feb. 2026
As the continents sheared and twisted unevenly, local forces squeezed together thin ribbons of crust and popped them up like geological meerkats, isolating and slicing them off.
—Evan Howell, Scientific American, 4 Feb. 2026
It can be lightly sheared to maintain shape but is slow-growing and takes a long time to recover from aggressive pruning.
—Daniel Scott, Better Homes & Gardens, 22 Jan. 2026
The bedding is triple sheared, and as a result, pilling is very minor.
—Yelena Moroz Alpert, Architectural Digest, 21 Jan. 2026
Doctors soon found that the on-field hits had sheared a blood vessel in Bledsoe's chest, which was rapidly filling his body with blood.
—Skyler Trepel, PEOPLE, 23 Sep. 2025
The $1,850 scarves start with 400 grams of raw cashmere sheared from the undercoat of high-altitude hircus goats.
—Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 13 Sep. 2025
The military truck towered over the civilian car, its armored plating intact while the SUV's side was sheared in.
—Jesus Mesa, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 Aug. 2025
Lauren Victory, CBS News, 12 Mar. 2026
Abelias lose their natural, graceful appearance when pruned or sheared heavily.
—Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 22 Feb. 2026
As the continents sheared and twisted unevenly, local forces squeezed together thin ribbons of crust and popped them up like geological meerkats, isolating and slicing them off.
—Evan Howell, Scientific American, 4 Feb. 2026
It can be lightly sheared to maintain shape but is slow-growing and takes a long time to recover from aggressive pruning.
—Daniel Scott, Better Homes & Gardens, 22 Jan. 2026
The bedding is triple sheared, and as a result, pilling is very minor.
—Yelena Moroz Alpert, Architectural Digest, 21 Jan. 2026
Doctors soon found that the on-field hits had sheared a blood vessel in Bledsoe's chest, which was rapidly filling his body with blood.
—Skyler Trepel, PEOPLE, 23 Sep. 2025
The $1,850 scarves start with 400 grams of raw cashmere sheared from the undercoat of high-altitude hircus goats.
—Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 13 Sep. 2025
The military truck towered over the civilian car, its armored plating intact while the SUV's side was sheared in.
—Jesus Mesa, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sheared
Verb
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The cheese, though, is white Prairie Breeze, shaved fine and mounded like a snowdrift atop the bowl.—
Robert F. Moss,
Southern Living,
9 Mar. 2026
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At one point in his teenage years, Diaz was publicly humiliated by the football team who forcefully shaved his curly hair.—
Andrea Flores,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Friday's high winds also left their mark on a baseball field in West Deer Township after a tree practically sliced a concession stand in two.—
Megan Shinn,
CBS News,
16 Mar. 2026
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Or if a finger was so sliced open that the bone protruded.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
15 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The fear, Webster said, can make young athletes avoid sport-specific movements like cutting or jumping even after physical clearance.—
Ian McMahan,
New York Times,
21 Mar. 2026
-
Worries have gotten so high that traders have canceled nearly all their bets that the Federal Reserve could cut interest rates this year, according to data from CME Group.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
21 Mar. 2026
Verb
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In an effort to draw in new viewers, The Bachelor franchise has instead ripped itself apart.—
Kathryn VanArendonk,
Vulture,
19 Mar. 2026
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The alleged thieves ripped bronze plaques and grave markers from headstones and walls of the cemetery's mausoleum.—
Dean Fioresi,
CBS News,
18 Mar. 2026
Verb
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This year’s ceremony also clipped the winning speeches pretty short, but at least some of that time went to a truly poignant in memoriam.—
Jackson McHenry,
Vulture,
16 Mar. 2026
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They were clipped onto a pair of sheer black mesh thigh-high tights, adding some subtle coverage to the mini look.—
Lara Walsh,
InStyle,
16 Mar. 2026
Verb
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That slashed the Kremlin’s oil revenues to their lowest levels since the invasion.—
David McHugh,
Fortune,
14 Mar. 2026
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That slashed the Kremlin’s oil revenues to their lowest levels since the invasion.—
David McHugh,
Chicago Tribune,
13 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Raúl was solid, his hands meaty and strong, his fingernails curved and trimmed.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
16 Mar. 2026
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Yet one reason that Conan now rules the Oscars like the new Jimmy Kimmel, if not the new Billy Crystal, is that the jokes were trimmed of the cutting sharpness the Oscars have flirted with in the past.—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
16 Mar. 2026
Verb
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According to court records, one of the bullets pierced the digital display of the cash register, shattering glass and plastic and causing injuries to the owner’s face, eye, hand and stomach.—
Staff Report,
Hartford Courant,
18 Mar. 2026
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The figurines have movable joints and serve as a blank canvas to be pierced, painted, posed or sculpted into whatever comes to mind for the artist, or comes in the form of an artist commission.—
Lisa Deaderick,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
15 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Sheared.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sheared. Accessed 21 Mar. 2026.
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