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
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
Bob had his cheek welded onto the factory plastic, fists gripped to the window frame, all of his pale hair sheared back by the drag.
—Literary Hub, 13 Aug. 2025
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
Bob had his cheek welded onto the factory plastic, fists gripped to the window frame, all of his pale hair sheared back by the drag.
—Literary Hub, 13 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sheared
Verb
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Agwunobi had claimed to have shaved $20 million off the hospital’s debt.—
Kevin Rennie,
Hartford Courant,
28 Feb. 2026
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Max Silnicki, who runs the Washington Avenue Barber Shop, shaved the heads of 10,000 Jews in Nazi concentration camps before they were cremated.—
Miami Herald Archives,
Miami Herald,
27 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Kara Walker sliced apart the statue with a plasma cutter and welded it back together in an entirely new form.—
Jessica Gelt,
Los Angeles Times,
24 Feb. 2026
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Polish skater Kamila Sellier was taken off the ice on a stretcher after a blade from a competitor's skate sliced her face above the left eye in a sudden crash.—
Wesley Stenzel,
Entertainment Weekly,
21 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Sam Bennett scored with 35 seconds left to cut the deficit back to one but Florida could get no closer.—
Jordan McPherson,
Miami Herald,
28 Feb. 2026
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That deal, which required Iran to limit its nuclear program by, among other things, cutting enrichment levels and reducing centrifuges, took effect in 2016 and was due to expire 10 years after it was adopted.—
Michael Collins,
USA Today,
28 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Yes, there was even more discussion of Mike White being ripped.—
Dalton Ross,
Entertainment Weekly,
26 Feb. 2026
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Both are basically ripped from the headlines.—
Jason P. Frank,
Vulture,
26 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Before the Tank reached the tree’s base, Emerald clipped himself to a plastic rope attached to another tree and pulled himself across to it.—
Robert Moor,
New Yorker,
2 Mar. 2026
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Lyon's teenage Brazil star Endrick expertly helped the ball on and midfielder Corentin Tolisso clipped a fine shot past goalkeeper Geronimo Rulli from 10 meters out.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
1 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Her aunt and the man—skin loose under his eyes, the face slashed with wrinkles.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 Feb. 2026
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Funding for vaccine research has been slashed under Kennedy’s leadership.—
Keri Heath,
Austin American Statesman,
27 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Other companies hit hard by worries about AI competition also trimmed their losses for the year.—
Stan Choe,
Los Angeles Times,
24 Feb. 2026
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The sheer blush pink mesh design was trimmed with matching feathers along the neckline and featured a ruffle with a distressed hem at the bottom, showing off a glimpse of silk pants under her dress as well as a pair of pointy-toed slides.—
Lara Walsh,
InStyle,
23 Feb. 2026
Verb
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They were pinched, prodded, cut, shocked, pierced with needles, struck with canes, and burned with acid.—
Dan Piepenbring,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Feb. 2026
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Each entrance is strikingly different — bold geometric statements, ranging from a cube of bright blue fishnet to a grid of hot pink stucco pierced at various angles by huge gray cylinders.—
Miami Herald Archives,
Miami Herald,
23 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Sheared.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sheared. Accessed 4 Mar. 2026.
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