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
The tiny leaves are easily sheared and sculpted into any shape.
—
Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 26 Aug. 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
Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 26 Aug. 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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Her mother, brother, and aunt shaved their heads as well.—
Amber Corrine,
VIBE.com,
5 Sep. 2025
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Per a Vogue cover story earlier this month, the actress’ head was shaved in real time during a scene in the movie.—
Jack Smart,
People.com,
28 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Watch as potatoes are washed, sliced, cooked in small batches, and seasoned.—
Tykesha Spivey Burton,
Southern Living,
3 Sep. 2025
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None of those fighters are HOF material, but the way Lomachenko sliced them up (getting Walters, Rigondeaux, Miguel Marriaga and Jason Sosa to quit in back-to-back-to-back-to-back fights) was so impressive.—
Josh Katzowitz,
Forbes.com,
29 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Initially lined up outside, Chiefs defensive end Chris Jones quickly cut inside to beat the right tackle.—
Pete Sweeney,
Kansas City Star,
6 Sep. 2025
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On the northeast of the fire, by Sugar Pine Mountain, crews worked in steep, inaccessible terrain to bring containment lines into the natural rock bluff, trying to cut the fire off south of the Wishon Reservoir for the protection of the critical hydroelectric infrastructure.—
CA WILDFIRE BOT,
Sacbee.com,
6 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Eastern Washington’s first drive ended when defensive back Jaden Mickey ripped the ball out of a receiver’s hands for a fumble recovery.—
Jim Keyser,
Idaho Statesman,
6 Sep. 2025
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The zany battle reached a dramatic conclusion when Thing ripped Isaac’s mechanical heart from his chest, ending his life… again.—
Andy Swift,
TVLine,
6 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The video quickly clipped to the white sedan engulfed in flames.—
Paulina Dedaj,
FOXNews.com,
2 Sep. 2025
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In contrast, other states with stricter regimes may have their wings clipped.—
Owen Tedford,
Forbes.com,
29 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Global energy firms slashed thousands of jobs after the 2020 oil bust, leaving a skeletal workforce.—
Srishti Gupta,
Interesting Engineering,
9 Sep. 2025
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Trump maintained Friday that the economy would be adding jobs if Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell had slashed benchmark interest rates, even though doing so to the degree that Trump wants could ignite higher inflation.—
Josh Boak,
Fortune,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Richland trimmed the deficit with a focus on the ground game, as Kates and Gibson ran the ball right through the Panthers’ defense while playing up-tempo.—
Jordan Neal,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
6 Sep. 2025
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Earlier in 2024, Fox News trimmed a portion of his answer to a question when he was asked about declassifying files related to Jeffrey Epstein.—
Ted Johnson,
Deadline,
5 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Sheared.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sheared. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.
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