1
as in shaving
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 slicing
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shearing
Verb
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Thankfully, a shelter volunteer, Nikki Miller, took up Chase’s cause, giving him a bath, trimming his nails and shaving his fur to get him back to looking his best again.—
Jack Beresford,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Sep. 2025 -
However, the thawing of Russia’s northern coastline has opened a lane for vessels, shaving almost three weeks off shipping times compared to the journey around the Cape of Good Hope.—
Jeronimo Gonzalez,
semafor.com,
24 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Cross-contamination can cause pink stains (for example, cutting a beet or tomato before slicing cheese).—
Katie Rosenhouse,
Southern Living,
28 Sep. 2025
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Just keep slicing — er, reading — to discover how to watch Berserk in order.—
Chris Snellgrove,
Entertainment Weekly,
27 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Little River Canyon National Preserve introduces visitors to a magnificent gorge that was created by the Little River cutting across the top of Lookout Mountain.—
Tara Massouleh McCay,
Southern Living,
4 Oct. 2025
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The trial was designed to appeal to cash-conscious customers, who’ve been cutting eating out from their budgets, hurting restaurants’ profits.—
Jordan Valinsky,
CNN Money,
4 Oct. 2025
Verb
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When Rochelle Luna, 18, arrived at the house hours later, Djerf bound, gagged and raped her before stabbing her and slitting her throat, court records said.—
Elena Santa Cruz,
AZCentral.com,
19 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Thankfully, a shelter volunteer, Nikki Miller, took up Chase’s cause, giving him a bath, trimming his nails and shaving his fur to get him back to looking his best again.—
Jack Beresford,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Sep. 2025
-
Its trimming rippled in the afternoon wind.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
22 Sep. 2025
Verb
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But don't go ripping out every touch of brass in your kitchen just yet.—
Tessa Cooper,
Southern Living,
1 Oct. 2025
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Dancing With the Stars contestant Robert Irwin left judge Carrie Ann Inaba speechless after ripping of his shirt in the middle off his salsa with partner Witney Carson.—
Maureen Lee Lenker,
Entertainment Weekly,
1 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Like NexLawn's upcoming Vidar robo-mowers, the futuristic rover will navigate the garden using LiDAR and vision sensors while clipping the grass.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
11 Sep. 2025
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Its audio comes through clean and detail-rich, with noise cancelling and automatic limiting to handle background chaos without clipping your voice.—
Juhi Wadia,
PC Magazine,
9 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Oxy barely survived the downturn, slashing its dividend from 79 cents per share each quarter down to just one penny.—
Jordan Blum,
Fortune,
2 Oct. 2025
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Even if the game was already lost, there might not have been a penalty more maddening than Nick Cousins slashing Canadiens forward Ivan Demidov just as his team began an odd-man rush.—
Julian McKenzie,
New York Times,
1 Oct. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Shearing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shearing. Accessed 5 Oct. 2025.
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