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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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
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There’s the 1978 Boston College point-shaving scandal, where student athletes were paid by the mob to limit the number of points their team scored.—
David Hill,
Rolling Stone,
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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Adams’ Exit Narrows the Field After Mayor Eric Adams dropped out of the race, much of his support appeared to transfer to Cuomo, trimming Mamdani’s lead.—
Martha McHardy,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Oct. 2025
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After trimming a 17-point third quarter deficit to 12 to start the fourth quarter, Kerr sent the starters back out to begin the fourth quarter.—
Joseph Dycus,
Mercury News,
25 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Check out video of Flav watching practice, posing with members of Team USA and ripping down the track in a bobsled and skeleton.—
Gil Kaufman,
Billboard,
28 Oct. 2025
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Adidas did the same thing with an AE1 commercial ripping a bunch of shoes, including LaMelo Ball’s shoe with Puma.—
Zach Harper,
New York Times,
28 Oct. 2025
Verb
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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
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Tie branches with twine and add evergreen tassels, then insert photos in the branches, clipping them on, if needed, to hold in place.—
Emily Williams,
Better Homes & Gardens,
7 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Matthias Balk | Picture Alliance | Getty Images Paramount Skydance is slashing nearly 1,000 jobs beginning on Wednesday, just months after the close of its merger, according to a person close to the situation.—
Lillian Rizzo,
CNBC,
29 Oct. 2025
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Amazon, led by CEO Andy Jassy, is slashing its workforce by about 14,000 roles, the company told employees Tuesday morning.—
Alex Weprin,
HollywoodReporter,
28 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Shearing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shearing. Accessed 4 Nov. 2025.
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