1
as in to shave
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 to slit
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 shear
Nearly all the materials used to build the lodge were sourced locally: pine harvested sustainably from the surrounding forests, wool sheared from the sheep that graze in the pastures outside, stone from nearby quarries.
—
Jeff Chu, Travel + Leisure, 13 Apr. 2025
In Lincoln’s time, people in the town would shear their sheep, wash the fleece and card the wool using the mill.
—Addison Wright, Chicago Tribune, 22 Mar. 2025
The concrete had sheared away and the pipe was rusted through.
—Ashley MacKin Solomon, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Mar. 2025
Photo: Courtesy of Netflix Stepping beyond the practicality of rubber clogs—no thorns in feet or shearing injuries here, Netflix!—Meghan seems to be embracing the wider shift toward slip-on styles.
—Olivia Allen, Vogue, 5 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shear
Jeff Chu, Travel + Leisure, 13 Apr. 2025
In Lincoln’s time, people in the town would shear their sheep, wash the fleece and card the wool using the mill.
—Addison Wright, Chicago Tribune, 22 Mar. 2025
The concrete had sheared away and the pipe was rusted through.
—Ashley MacKin Solomon, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Mar. 2025
Photo: Courtesy of Netflix Stepping beyond the practicality of rubber clogs—no thorns in feet or shearing injuries here, Netflix!—Meghan seems to be embracing the wider shift toward slip-on styles.
—Olivia Allen, Vogue, 5 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shear
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shear
Verb
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The accelerated pathway shaves time off the degree by eliminating some electives in the curriculum and the transition-to-residency coursework that’s usually offered in the fourth year.—
Michael T. Nietzel,
Forbes.com,
18 June 2025
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That's a more modest bump to the specs of the previous S5 than the four-cylinder car, although one that still shaves a couple of tenths off the 0–60 time.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
18 June 2025
Verb
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Then, the family members would drag their victim to a hidden cellar on the property and slit the victim’s throat, leaving them there to die.—
Sean Neumann,
People.com,
1 June 2025
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In April 2006, Stanko, 57, beat and strangled girlfriend Laura Ling to death and raped her teenage daughter and slit her throat.—
Brie Stimson,
FOXNews.com,
30 May 2025
Verb
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The prospect of trying to cut open a stubborn 5-4-1 block in the Orlando heat could have become torturous quite quickly.—
Liam Tharme,
New York Times,
28 June 2025
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At that point, roughly 70 million Social Security recipients would see their monthly benefits cut by about 20%.—
Alain Sherter,
CBS News,
27 June 2025
Verb
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The pair later sliced into a two-tiered wedding cake topped with fresh grapes and figs.—
Ashlyn Robinette,
People.com,
23 June 2025
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Most of these pristine hailstones go directly to a cold lab in Colorado, where they are sliced with a hot wire band saw.—
Seth Borenstein,
Christian Science Monitor,
23 June 2025
Verb
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There had been rumors that Brown could be traded this offseason, as the Celtics continue to trim a significant amount of money off their books.—
Ricardo Klein,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 June 2025
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That 90 gets trimmed to 53 by the start of the season.—
Alex Zietlow,
Charlotte Observer,
23 June 2025
Verb
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All-Time Anniversary Twelve years ago, Ray Allen hit The Shot On this date, back in 2013, one of the greatest shots in basketball history ripped through the net.—
Zach Harper,
New York Times,
18 June 2025
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Reinhart strips, dips, rips: Panthers lead, 1-0 As Brad Marchand opened the scoring in Game 5 with a fantastic individual effort, Sam Reinhart did the same for the Panthers in Game 6 with a goal that incorporated Marchand’s payoff move on his second Game 5 goal.—
David J. Neal,
Miami Herald,
18 June 2025
Verb
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Pinch-hitter Jose Tabata fouled off a pair of 2-2 pitches before Scherzer clipped him on the elbow with a breaking ball.—
Houston Mitchell,
Los Angeles Times,
20 June 2025
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In one snap, the proud mom can be seen sitting in a pair of pajamas with her hair halfway clipped up as Santi sits on her lap, smiling at the camera.—
Angel Saunders,
People.com,
19 June 2025
Verb
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In March, Standard Chartered slashed its ether price target by more than half.—
Tanaya Macheel,
CNBC,
20 June 2025
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This can slash down response times and aid agents because they won’t get bogged down by simple, repetitive requests.—
Nataliia Onyshkevych,
Forbes.com,
20 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Shear.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shear. Accessed 30 Jun. 2025.
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