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
When money is received, the group works with wildlife managers if a location needs to be sheared, burned or bulldozed.
—
Andrew Weeks, Twin Cities, 10 Apr. 2026
The strike on Saturday sheared the façade off several adjacent apartment blocks and shattered glass for blocks around.
—Marlene Lenthang, NBC news, 23 Mar. 2026
Footage from Israel's emergency service showed a large crater next to what appeared to be apartment buildings with outer walls sheared away.
—Arkansas Online, 22 Mar. 2026
Footage from Israel's emergency service showed a large crater next to what appeared to be apartment buildings with outer walls sheared away.
—CBS News, 21 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 a tidy appearance.
—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
Andrew Weeks, Twin Cities, 10 Apr. 2026
The strike on Saturday sheared the façade off several adjacent apartment blocks and shattered glass for blocks around.
—Marlene Lenthang, NBC news, 23 Mar. 2026
Footage from Israel's emergency service showed a large crater next to what appeared to be apartment buildings with outer walls sheared away.
—Arkansas Online, 22 Mar. 2026
Footage from Israel's emergency service showed a large crater next to what appeared to be apartment buildings with outer walls sheared away.
—CBS News, 21 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 a tidy appearance.
—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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sheared
Verb
-
Colbert pulled out another series still of the actor who appeared naked and obscured by an open newspaper while his wife, Lois, played by Jane Kaczmarek, shaved his back.—
Emily St. Martin,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Apr. 2026
-
Resurfacing and Sculpting treatment shaved years off of my skin’s appearance (and all of its New York City congestion) in a matter of 60 minutes.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
5 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The curls, when sliced, are what allow the kale not to fall into a dense pile.—
Deputy Food Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
5 Apr. 2026
-
De La Cruz sliced an opposite-field hit to right field to score Matt McLain, who walked leading off the inning against Robert Garcia (0-1) and stole second base.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
5 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Minnesota led by 10 with about four minutes left before Houston used an 8-2 run, with four points from Alperen Sengun, to cut the lead to 132-128 with about a minute to go.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
11 Apr. 2026
-
It is equipped with fold-out platforms, a large glass-bottom pool, and a lounge with a DJ booth, meaning seafarers can play with water toys by day and cut shapes by night.—
Rachel Cormack,
Robb Report,
10 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Western chimps have ripped infants from their Central mothers’ chests and battered them to death.—
Evan Bush,
NBC news,
9 Apr. 2026
-
But in 1982-83, when another super El Niño occurred, storms destroyed multiple piers and ripped away a 400-foot section of the Santa Monica Pier.—
Alex Wigglesworth,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Bruce checked the number on the oxygen monitor still clipped to Louise’s finger.—
Catherine Lacey,
New Yorker,
5 Apr. 2026
-
Woods was arrested on March 27 after his SUV clipped a work vehicle near the golfer’s Florida home and wound-up on its side.—
Brian Niemietz,
New York Daily News,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Tisch said the suspect slashed one person on a platform at the Grand Central station before going upstairs and slashing the other victims on another platform.—
Julie Walker,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Apr. 2026
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Recent Iran attacks on a crucial Saudi pipeline have also slashed the kingdom's oil output, Saudi Arabia's state news agency said Thursday.—
Evelyn Cheng,
CNBC,
10 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
If these things are getting trimmed, what’s being saved?—
Boston Herald editorial staff,
Boston Herald,
7 Apr. 2026
-
Here there is a wood-burning fireplace that has been beautifully trimmed, a large window, and a door to the rear deck.—
James Alexander,
Hartford Courant,
5 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The bullet pierced the 49-year-old guard’s spine, according to prosecutors, who said the victim endured seven hours of surgery and may be paralyzed.—
Rocco Parascandola,
New York Daily News,
8 Apr. 2026
-
Large pieces of timber pierced the cab of the victim's truck, as well as the trailer and cargo within the trailer, causing some hazardous material to spill onto the roadway, the sheriff's office said.—
April 3,
CBS News,
3 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Sheared.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sheared. Accessed 13 Apr. 2026.
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