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
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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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of shear
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
Sheep are shearing the land under solar panels to benefit two industries
As solar power’s land needs grow, more ranchers are turning to agrivoltaics.
—Troy Aidan Sambajon, The Christian Science Monitor, 17 Mar. 2025
Megalodon likely fed with immense force, using its powerful jaws to shear through its prey’s thick bones and flesh.
—Melissa Cristina Márquez, Forbes, 8 Mar. 2025
Commonly sheared to create a formal hedge or neatly clipped into a topiary, Japanese holly is a unique, fast-growing holly.
—Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 19 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shear
Olivia Allen, Vogue, 5 Mar. 2025
Sheep are shearing the land under solar panels to benefit two industries
As solar power’s land needs grow, more ranchers are turning to agrivoltaics.
—Troy Aidan Sambajon, The Christian Science Monitor, 17 Mar. 2025
Megalodon likely fed with immense force, using its powerful jaws to shear through its prey’s thick bones and flesh.
—Melissa Cristina Márquez, Forbes, 8 Mar. 2025
Commonly sheared to create a formal hedge or neatly clipped into a topiary, Japanese holly is a unique, fast-growing holly.
—Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 19 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shear
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shear
Verb
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Fred’s highlight this season has been shaving his beard.—
Stephanie Bunbury,
Deadline,
23 May 2025
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Inside the prison, they were forced to kneel as their heads were shaved by guards.—
Nidia Cavazos,
CBS News,
23 May 2025
Verb
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Everyone, even the children, have scars from where the corners of their mouths have been slit up into their cheeks, Joker-style.—
Kimberly Roots,
TVLine,
27 Apr. 2025
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There are no marks on the bones directly attributable to a cause of death, Green said, and the Romans typically killed their sacrifices by slitting their throats or through drowning.—
Irene Wright,
Miami Herald,
8 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Republican bill cuts Medicaid for unemployed, undocumented children, Planned Parenthood How much do Americans rely on programs like Medicaid and Social Security?—
Riley Beggin,
USA Today,
23 May 2025
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The president has cut the Israelis out of regional decision making and reportedly kiboshed a plan to strike Iran’s nuclear facilities.—
Yair Rosenberg,
The Atlantic,
22 May 2025
Verb
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Trump and others in his administration have tried slicing through these knots rather than putting in the legal work to untie them.—
The Editors,
National Review,
19 May 2025
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Santana’s at-bats per extra-base hit, by year: 2025: 21.3 2024: 10.6 2023: 9.6 2022: 11.6 2021: 16.6 2020: 13.7 2019: 8.8 David Fry will return soon from elbow surgery, and if Santana’s power hasn’t resurfaced by then, the Guardians can’t be afraid to slice into his playing time.—
Zack Meisel,
New York Times,
19 May 2025
Verb
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The company also trimmed a smaller percentage of underperforming locations than Walmart has.—
,
CNBC,
19 May 2025
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The canvas tote is trimmed in green leather, adding a subtle splash of color to the versatile bag.—
Melony Forcier,
Travel + Leisure,
18 May 2025
Verb
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Now the Trump administration wants to negate that argument by asserting that to harm an endangered species means only to injure or kill it directly: to rip it out by the roots or blow it away with a shotgun.—
Emma Marris,
The Atlantic,
25 May 2025
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The Tangipahoa Jail is about 70 miles away from New Orleans, where 10 inmates escaped by ripping a toilet and sink unit from the wall and climbing through a hole on May 16.—
Jeanine Santucci,
USA Today,
24 May 2025
Verb
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The Japanese driver clipped the kerb and lost control of the rear of the RB21.—
Lydia Mee,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 May 2025
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The funny thing about cord cutters is that their numbers are growing — and the size of this group is being fueled, obviously, by people clipping their ties to cable.—
Brian Steinberg,
Variety,
16 May 2025
Verb
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The result is a leaner, more transparent value chain that slashes transit times, anchors skilled jobs at home, and gives automakers, wind-turbine producers, battery materials manufacturers, and aerospace primes a domestic alternative to long-distance supply lines.—
William Jones,
USA Today,
16 May 2025
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With the abrupt withdrawal of the US, the World Health Organization is grappling with a brutal funding shortfall, leaving the United Nations health agency to slash top leadership and run global programs on a budget similar to that of a local hospital system.—
Beth Mole,
ArsTechnica,
15 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Shear.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shear. Accessed 29 May. 2025.
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