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
Second, victims of higher taxes don’t stand still and get sheared like obedient sheep.
—
Steve Forbes,
Forbes.com,
26 June 2026
With the jet tipped on its side and nearly sheared in half, several people managed to climb out it while a firefighter using a small ladder rescued the last remaining passenger who appeared to be unconscious.
—
ABC News,
17 June 2026
Drivers who came upon the burning plane, which was nearly sheared in half and tipped on its side, captured dramatic rescue scenes on video or rushed toward the aircraft on foot to help.
—
CBS News,
17 June 2026
It can be sheared into a formal hedge or shaped into a ball.
—
Daniel Scott,
Better Homes & Gardens,
10 June 2026
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
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
Steve Forbes,
Forbes.com,
26 June 2026
With the jet tipped on its side and nearly sheared in half, several people managed to climb out it while a firefighter using a small ladder rescued the last remaining passenger who appeared to be unconscious.
—
ABC News,
17 June 2026
Drivers who came upon the burning plane, which was nearly sheared in half and tipped on its side, captured dramatic rescue scenes on video or rushed toward the aircraft on foot to help.
—
CBS News,
17 June 2026
It can be sheared into a formal hedge or shaped into a ball.
—
Daniel Scott,
Better Homes & Gardens,
10 June 2026
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
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sheared
Verb
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His head is freshly shaved and that same cheeky, yet surprisingly eloquent Egg-ness immediately comes through over our half-hour interview.
-
The Supreme Court ruled that a Louisiana prisoner whose dreadlocks were forcibly shaved off by prison guards cannot sue them under a federal law designed to protect the religious rights of prisoners.
Verb
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With that knife, Bland stabbed her husband in the head and neck — and, afterward, sliced her teenage daughter in the forearm as the teen tried to get Emii from Bland, the report says.
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Aranda sliced an opposite-field, three-run home run off Mikolas that caromed off the foul pole in left field to put the Rays in front 3-2 in the bottom of the third.
Verb
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Kirkmeyer has campaigned on affordability and safety issues, Bottoms is pushing for a redo of the state's education system among other things and Marx wants to cut regulations and lower the cost of living.
-
Terrell Carstens, a 25-year resident of Brookhaven, said she is frustrated the city made little effort to find places to cut costs instead of raising the rate.
Verb
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Lineage, which describes itself as the world's largest owner of cold storage facilities, experienced a fire at another of its warehouses, in Finley, Washington, which ripped through the entire building and burned for two months in 2024.
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The lessons aren’t all that different from the great breadstick campaign of 2014, when Starboard’s Jeff Smith’s play at Olive Garden parent Darden literally ripped the company for undersalting its pasta water in an effort to save money on pots and pans.
Verb
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The material itself is soft, breathable, and machine washable for easy cleaning, and the pillow rolls up into a convenient carrying pouch that can be clipped onto your personal item for easy access.
-
Pinch-hitter Jose Tabata fouled off a pair of 2-2 pitches before Scherzer clipped him on the elbow with a breaking ball.
Verb
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In Baghdad, thousands marched through the streets, including some who slashed their heads with razors and performed other forms of self-flagellation in a show of grief to mark the occasion.
-
After the subsidy was slashed to $15 million, Tri-Rail’s management said the railroad would run out of money by mid-2027 if more money was not provided.
Verb
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Marina Mabrey scored a game-high 23 points and hit back-to-back 3-pointers during a third-quarter run that trimmed Atlanta's lead and brought the Tempo within striking distance.
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This was for Clark’s tee shot rolling into a bunker, leading to a short miss for bogey that again trimmed his lead to one shot.
Verb
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First responders found the woman conscious and alert after an umbrella stake pierced her shoulder.
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Because of the bullets that pierced his mother, he was deprived of blood and oxygen for critical minutes just prior to his birth.
Cite this Entry
“Sheared.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sheared. Accessed 30 Jun. 2026.
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