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
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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
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Recent Examples of sheared
Anchusa plants look better and self-seed less if sheared back after flowering.
—
Marie Iannotti, The Spruce, 9 May 2026
Up next was pineapple, its spikes thoughtfully sheared smooth and cut into spears.
—Literary Hub, 8 May 2026
The tiny leaves are easily sheared and sculpted into any shape.
—Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 5 May 2026
The communications pole that was sheared in the April 2025 crash that left 19-year-old Preston Obeidin dead near Temecula.
—Matthew Rodriguez, CBS News, 16 Apr. 2026
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
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
Marie Iannotti, The Spruce, 9 May 2026
Up next was pineapple, its spikes thoughtfully sheared smooth and cut into spears.
—Literary Hub, 8 May 2026
The tiny leaves are easily sheared and sculpted into any shape.
—Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 5 May 2026
The communications pole that was sheared in the April 2025 crash that left 19-year-old Preston Obeidin dead near Temecula.
—Matthew Rodriguez, CBS News, 16 Apr. 2026
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
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sheared
Verb
-
Darby Allin Fans were very thirsty to see MJF have his head shaved bald.—
Alfred Konuwa,
Forbes.com,
24 May 2026
-
Stone famously shaved off all of her hair in 2024 for her role in Bugonia.—
Lara Walsh,
InStyle,
21 May 2026
Verb
-
Ramsey Suarez sliced a double down the left-field line as the ball landed less than a foot into fair territory.—
Liana Handler,
Los Angeles Times,
23 May 2026
-
Although Republicans who dominate the state Legislature are aligned on the broad contours of the new map, the House and Senate have competing visions for how to divvy up certain localities, including which parishes will be kept whole and which will be sliced up.—
David A. Lieb,
Chicago Tribune,
23 May 2026
Verb
-
The shortstop also rocketed a 441-foot, two-run home run off Giants right-hander Keaton Winn in the eighth to cut San Francisco’s lead to 4-3.—
Patrick Saunders,
Denver Post,
30 May 2026
-
Based on 2026 opening day figures, eight teams would have to cut payroll to get under the cap.—
Ronald Blum,
Fortune,
29 May 2026
Verb
-
For example, Hurricane Helene in September 2024 was a powerful tropical cyclone that made landfall in Florida’s Big Bend and then ripped its way into Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina, causing catastrophic damage and several fatalities across the Southeastern United States.—
Martin E. Comas,
The Orlando Sentinel,
28 May 2026
-
Large chunks of their tissue is ripped out entirely.—
Scott Travers,
Forbes.com,
28 May 2026
Verb
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Hull went closest on the stroke of halftime when McBurnie’s header flicked off a Middlesbrough defender and clipped the top of the crossbar.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
23 May 2026
-
With the bases loaded in the top of the seventh, the shortstop clipped Schlittler’s high-velocity fastballs over and over until the big righty finally missed low to push across the first run on a walk.—
Mitch Bannon,
New York Times,
21 May 2026
Verb
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Critics contend that the country’s poverty rate sharply increased as Milei slashed welfare spending, devalued the country’s currency and rolled back labor rights as job losses mounted and as pension payments plummeted.—
Daniel Rivero,
Miami Herald,
30 May 2026
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Global fertilizer companies have slashed production over shortfalls of sulphur, required to make many farming inputs; about half of the global supply passed through the strait before the Iran war.—
semafor.com,
semafor.com,
29 May 2026
Verb
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But as Cuban pointed out, gold has greatly outperformed Bitcoin over the past year, although Bitcoin has trimmed gold’s lead over the past three months.—
Jack Kubinec,
Fortune,
26 May 2026
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The star’s one-piece bikini also featured a nude underlay with floral designs etched into the black fabric and a plunging neckline trimmed with a scalloped pattern.—
Lara Walsh,
InStyle,
25 May 2026
Verb
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Four of those shots struck Bils from behind, including one that entered his back, pierced his lung and heart, bounced off his breast bone and lodged back in his heart, according to prosecutors.—
Alex Riggins,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
29 May 2026
-
According to the notice, if the toy has been ruptured or pierced, or if sand has escaped the toy, Orb Factory has directed consumers to put on a mask and gloves and use damp cloths to pick up any sand that has leaked out.—
Amaris Encinas,
USA Today,
28 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Sheared.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sheared. Accessed 1 Jun. 2026.
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