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
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Recent Examples of shearing
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
Srishti Gupta, Interesting Engineering, 16 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shearing
Verb
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And the only questions she's getting asked are about shaving her head.—
Patrick Ryan,
USA Today,
6 Nov. 2025
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Another unit in Tsuen Wan, a residential neighborhood in the New Territories, was sold at a loss of $142,000, shaving 40% off the original price, according to local news reports.—
Chris Lau,
CNN Money,
31 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Remove turkey from oven; let rest 30 minutes before slicing and serving.—
Melinda Salchert,
Southern Living,
31 Oct. 2025
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The Hornets made a nice run in the third quarter, slicing Orlando’s lead to three at 88-85.—
Scott Fowler,
Charlotte Observer,
31 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Walz drew a surge of media attention and prompted popular X posts on the campaign trail for cutting a rootsy profile like her father.—
Jay Stahl,
USA Today,
25 Oct. 2025
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In cutting those moments, Baxter used the score to track the temperature of his edit, especially as the second chapter begins.—
Jazz Tangcay,
Variety,
25 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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Bibb took to her Instagram story before the annual event, sharing a behind-the-scenes video of Chris McMillan trimming her ends.—
Kaleigh Werner,
Footwear News,
4 Nov. 2025
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Once the tree is installed, state Department of General Services crews will go to work trimming the tree over the next several days.—
Darrell Smith,
Sacbee.com,
29 Oct. 2025
Verb
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That’s why the album has gone down in history, the ultimate case of a superstar ripping it up to start again, in the mode of Kid A or Achtung Baby, Bowie in Berlin or Neil Young heading for the ditch.—
Rob Sheffield,
Rolling Stone,
2 Nov. 2025
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As a result of the accelerating AWS story and continued solid margin performance, Amazon shares are ripping about 13% higher in after-hours trading to about $252.—
Jeff Marks,
CNBC,
30 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Melissa went on to tear through Cuba and the Bahamas before clipping Bermuda on its way out to sea.—
Anna Skinner,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Nov. 2025
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Next to a wooden model of an ibis and a Brazil shirt signed by 1994 World Cup winner Ricardo Rocha is a small newspaper clipping.—
Jack Lang,
New York Times,
11 Oct. 2025
Verb
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This month, however, the USDA is slashing the maximum benefit roughly in half, so households with even modest incomes will see much steeper reductions that those with none.—
JOSÉ LUIS VILLEGAS,
Sacbee.com,
7 Nov. 2025
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In the first half of the year, Tesla suffered from falling revenue as anti-Musk protesters picketed Tesla showrooms to denounce his role in slashing foreign aid and other government spending.—
David Ingram,
NBC news,
6 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Shearing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shearing. Accessed 8 Nov. 2025.
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