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
The film reunited him with Morrison, who played the head of a sheep-shearing family business in northeastern New Zealand in the 1950s.
—
Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Nov. 2025
At one point, Teddy’s hair had gotten so matted from the frequent licking that the vet had to partially sedate him and shear away most of his fur.
—Chandler Boese, Kansas City Star, 4 Nov. 2025
Some of these mountainsides have dislodged themselves deep in the bedrock, causing the face of a mountain to shear clean off — as has happened at least twice in the last two years.
—Ella Nilsen, CNN Money, 22 Oct. 2025
Moreover, plastic pulverization produces fine solids; keeping the enzyme in contact with all surfaces without shearing it to inactivity is an active research topic.
—Srishti Gupta, Interesting Engineering, 16 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shear
Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Nov. 2025
At one point, Teddy’s hair had gotten so matted from the frequent licking that the vet had to partially sedate him and shear away most of his fur.
—Chandler Boese, Kansas City Star, 4 Nov. 2025
Some of these mountainsides have dislodged themselves deep in the bedrock, causing the face of a mountain to shear clean off — as has happened at least twice in the last two years.
—Ella Nilsen, CNN Money, 22 Oct. 2025
Moreover, plastic pulverization produces fine solids; keeping the enzyme in contact with all surfaces without shearing it to inactivity is an active research topic.
—Srishti Gupta, Interesting Engineering, 16 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shear
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shear
Verb
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Piza’s research showed that ShotSpotter alerts shaved off roughly 90 seconds from Kansas City police response time, but did not minimize gun violence or improve solve rates for cases occurring in the area where it is installed.—
Ben Wheeler,
Kansas City Star,
12 Jan. 2026
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They are created by taking a lamb or sheep pelt and tanning its hide—that would be the sheepskin part of the equation—while also shaving down its wool, aka, the shearling, to a uniform length.—
Eric Twardzik,
Robb Report,
12 Jan. 2026
Verb
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If the experimenter reads the information about which slit the photon passed through, there will never be an interference pattern.—
Paul Sutter,
Space.com,
20 Dec. 2025
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Police say when an officer tried to detain him, Cooksey threatened to slit the officer's throat.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
19 Dec. 2025
Verb
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Carolina cut the lead 17-14 at halftime after a 1-yard touchdown run by Hubbard and a 16-yard scramble by Young, the second-longest TD run of his career.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
11 Jan. 2026
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This same staff cut him to make room for a waiver-wire claim before the start of the 2024 season.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
11 Jan. 2026
Verb
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There’s one more tip that will make slicing soft cheese simple.—
Sophia Beams,
Better Homes & Gardens,
9 Jan. 2026
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Grate it for a slaw, or add it thinly sliced to salads for a refreshing crunch.—
Dr. Steven Gundry,
CNBC,
9 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Kondrat suggests trimming off the rotten, mushy tissue and letting the plant and soil dry out for 2 weeks or so.—
Leanne Potts,
Better Homes & Gardens,
15 Jan. 2026
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Adhere to Best Practices When Cutting As with trimming the branches of trees that overhang your property, make your cuts with an eye to the health of the bush.—
David Beaulieu,
The Spruce,
15 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Mend loose or ripped seams before cleaning to retain the coat's shape and to keep the fill from coming out.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
The Spruce,
14 Jan. 2026
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The day after a fire ripped through Mississippi’s largest synagogue, Rachel Myers gathered a small group of children 5 miles away and showed them photos of the aftermath.—
Bracey Harris,
NBC news,
14 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Earlier in the night, Alisha Efimova and Misha Mitrofanov defended their pairs title despite a couple of mistakes, including a scary moment when Mitrofanov was nearly clipped by Efimova’s skate.—
Dallas Morning News,
Dallas Morning News,
9 Jan. 2026
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Late in the first, Hartman clipped former Gophers captain Ben Meyers in the Seattle offensive zone, and was whistled for tripping.—
Jess Myers,
Twin Cities,
9 Jan. 2026
Verb
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This is why celebrities like Oprah sing Spanx’s praises, as do the editors at Travel + Leisure, especially when the brand slashes prices on its beloved athleisure.—
Julia Morlino,
Travel + Leisure,
14 Jan. 2026
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Trump sought to slash spending in scientific research at NOAA and NASA, among other agencies.—
Andrew Freedman,
CNN Money,
14 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Shear.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shear. Accessed 21 Jan. 2026.
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