shear

verb

ˈshir How to pronounce shear (audio)
Definition of shearnext
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

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of shear Cut individual branches rather than shearing the shrub like a hedge. — Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 31 Aug. 2026 The impact sheared the pole and caused the vehicle to catch fire. — Richard Ramos, CBS News, 25 Aug. 2026 Cotton/polyester fleece are brushed, sheared and sueded for a buttery soft hand feel. — Angela Velasquez, Footwear News, 28 July 2026 The fledgling storm was affected by shearing winds that forecasters expected to prevent it from building into the kind of hurricane that can sometimes quickly develop in the Gulf just offshore. — N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA Today, 24 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for shear
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shear
  1. shave
  2. slit
  3. cut
  4. slice
  5. trim
  6. rip
  7. clip
  8. slash
Verb
  • Those with a SacRT ticket or digital pass can get $2 shaved off their rink ticket fee.
    — Emma Hall, Sacbee.com, 29 Oct. 2026
  • For pretty chocolate curls, warm a bar of milk chocolate in your pocket or hand, then shave with a sharp vegetable peeler.
    — Ginger Crichton, Midwest Living, 29 Oct. 2026
Definition of shave
Verb
  • Every Black Dove attends to their duties with all deliberate stabbing, throat-slitting, and shooting speed, except for Reed.
    — Sophie Brookover, Vulture, 5 Nov. 2026
  • Bevins, sung by the tenor Jonah Hoskins, is a young gay man who slit his wrists after being jilted by a lover.
    — Nathan Heller, New Yorker, 29 Oct. 2026
Definition of slit
Verb
  • Jovany Barragan’s second field goal — a 35-yarder on an untimed down — cut Serra’s deficit to 21-6 at halftime.
    — Steve Galluzzo, Los Angeles Times, 7 Nov. 2026
  • The verdict came just three days after regulators seized Ueno Bank, cutting nearly 3 million customers off from their savings and bank cards and setting off a political crisis.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 7 Nov. 2026
Definition of cut
Verb
  • The outrage mob may try to sink their talons into anyone who does, but they've been declawed by the will of the people — who sliced right through the propaganda.
    — Matt Calkins OutKick, FOXNews.com, 6 Nov. 2026
  • My only gripe is these don’t come with a dipping sauce, so pick up a bag of scallions to slice and scatter over—nice touch—and the Gyoza Dipping Sauce.
    — Alex Beggs, Bon Appetit Magazine, 5 Nov. 2026
Definition of slice
Verb
  • Health insurers have grappled with elevated medical costs in recent years as consumers increased their ​use of healthcare services, prompting companies to raise premiums, trim benefits and exit less profitable plans.
    — Reuters, NBC news, 4 Nov. 2026
  • From Christmas cocktails and tree-trimming ideas to gift wrapping, recipes, and musical moments, each segment adds warmth, fun, and fresh inspiration.
    — Jennifer Maas, Variety, 4 Nov. 2026
Definition of trim
Verb
  • Old walls that once separated the exam rooms have been ripped down, leaving a large open space.
    — Noelle Alviz-Gransee Updated November 2, Kansas City Star, 2 Nov. 2026
  • But this audience was too savvy to be faked out, and their silence was upheld during that most delicate of passages — which, combined with the lack of the visual intrusion of an 18,000-strong filming crew, made for some heart-ripping magic.
    — Chris Willman, Variety, 1 Nov. 2026
Definition of rip
Verb
  • In the years since the COVID-19 lockdown brought the subway system to a halt — and clipped many a commute by moving work out of the office — 2019 subway ridership has been treated as a benchmark of the city’s revival.
    — Evan Simko-Bednarski, New York Daily News, 2 Nov. 2026
  • Later that summer, having turned professional, Russell qualified for her first World Championships but crashed out at the semifinals after clipping the second hurdle.
    — Fraser Godden, CNN Money, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of clip
Verb
  • The method is precise, but the effect is unruly, as if the chainsaws are really back there somewhere inside the speaker, about to slash through the cone.
    — Andy Cush, Pitchfork, 31 Oct. 2026
  • Waste disposal alternatives ​Meanwhile, other labs across America are looking at alternative nuclear fuel recycling technologies to slash the radioactive waste storage from thousands of years to just hundreds.
    — Muskan Bhatia, Interesting Engineering, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of slash

Browse Nearby Words

sheaf
shear
sheared
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Cite this Entry

“Shear.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shear. Accessed 9 Nov. 2026.

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Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about shear

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