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
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Recent Examples of shearing
The plants bloom in late spring and early summer and can be encouraged to bloom again by shearing the plants back by two-thirds after the first flowers fade.
—
Lynn McAlpine, Better Homes & Gardens, 5 Mar. 2026
Plus, shearing the plants will encourage them to rebloom.
—Michelle Darrisaw, Southern Living, 1 Mar. 2026
Sophomore Joe Teter enjoyed the honor of shearing Dunckel’s head.
—Don Norcross, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 Nov. 2025
The video shows the Amazon drone shearing the wire line.
—Annie Palmer, CNBC, 26 Nov. 2025
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
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
Lynn McAlpine, Better Homes & Gardens, 5 Mar. 2026
Plus, shearing the plants will encourage them to rebloom.
—Michelle Darrisaw, Southern Living, 1 Mar. 2026
Sophomore Joe Teter enjoyed the honor of shearing Dunckel’s head.
—Don Norcross, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 Nov. 2025
The video shows the Amazon drone shearing the wire line.
—Annie Palmer, CNBC, 26 Nov. 2025
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
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shearing
Verb
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That's because these plug-in or balcony solar panels start shaving off part of a homeowner's or renter's utility bill right away.—
Jeff Brady,
NPR,
12 Mar. 2026
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Jalen Smith, one of the men alleged to have helped perpetrate a sprawling college basketball point-shaving scheme, pleaded guilty Monday in federal court to charges stemming from a Department of Justice indictment that unspooled the gambling ring.—
Mike Vorkunov,
New York Times,
9 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Move the bread to a rack and let cool before slicing.—
Monti Carlo,
AJC.com,
20 Mar. 2026
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The Material steak knives arrived sharp, slicing through a piece of paper rather than crumpling its edge.—
Emily Johnson,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
18 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The fear, Webster said, can make young athletes avoid sport-specific movements like cutting or jumping even after physical clearance.—
Ian McMahan,
New York Times,
21 Mar. 2026
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That could mean Mediterranean, Paleo, cutting ultraprocessed foods or another structured approach.—
Lily Hautau,
CNN Money,
21 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The prosecutor said Tran tried to take his own life by slitting a wrist, cutting his neck and poking a blade into his stomach.—
Sean Emery,
Oc Register,
5 Mar. 2026
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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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With Vanity Fair trimming its guest list down to the bone and Warners not throwing the kind of party people like me were invited to, Neon’s Oscar party at Mother Wolf became the de facto post–Governors’ Ball gathering spot.—
Nate Jones,
Vulture,
20 Mar. 2026
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Silver plunged more than 13% before trimming losses.—
Yvonne Yue Li,
Bloomberg,
18 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The thing is an almost-four-hour-long continuous explosion — actors dancing, grappling, and hurling furniture; the director present onstage ripping pieces out of the set; paint and blood and flowers and feathers everywhere.—
Sara Holdren,
Vulture,
23 Mar. 2026
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Yet Grace is the one who wakes up in space, and this story emerges nonlinearly, narrative flashbacks like bursts of memory ripping through his brain, discombobulated after a long intergalactic coma.—
Katie Walsh,
Twin Cities,
21 Mar. 2026
Verb
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If the digital nouveau riche have sufficient discretionary income to unseat the coupon-clipping linear-TV gang, all that outsized buying power may not necessarily translate to a full-on tech takeover.—
Anthony Crupi,
Sportico.com,
18 Mar. 2026
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In a video posted to social media, the country star was caught off guard while performing at Margaret Court Arena in Melbourne, Australia, when a phone was suddenly thrown from the crowd, clipping the musician in the ear.—
Christina Dugan Ramirez,
FOXNews.com,
16 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Steve Hilton, a GOP candidate for governor and former Fox News host, outlined a plan to lower California gas prices to $3 per gallon by slashing regulations including the low-carbon fuel standard, the rule that requires cleaner-burning gas in order to reduce tailpipe emissions.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Mar. 2026
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Evgeni Malkin scored twice in a four-goal first period and added an assist in his return from a five-game suspension for slashing, sparking the Pittsburgh Penguins to a 7-2 victory over the league-leading Colorado Avalanche on Monday night.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
17 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Shearing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shearing. Accessed 25 Mar. 2026.
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