SHEARING Synonyms: 62 Similar and Opposite Words

shearing

verb

present participle of shear

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

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

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of shearing As a member of the mint family, horehound has the tendency to spread aggressively, but this can be prevented by shearing the inconspicuous flowers, which is also done to expose the evergreen foliage. — Nadia Hassani, The Spruce, 6 Sep. 2026 Cut individual branches rather than shearing the shrub like a hedge. — Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 31 Aug. 2026 The fledgling storm was affected by shearing winds that forecasters expected to prevent it from building into the kind of hurricane that can sometimes quickly develop in the Gulf just offshore. — N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA Today, 24 July 2026 Harryson says to avoid shearing the entire plant into a tight mound, cutting into the crown, removing emerging spring shoots, and pruning too early. — Madeline Buiano, Martha Stewart, 16 June 2026 In that 1964 work, Ono sat still on a stage, a pair of scissors beside her, as audience members took turns shearing her clothing. — Julie L. Belcove, Architectural Digest, 12 June 2026 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 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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for shearing

Verb

After finally shaving his beard off, Colbert concluded the interview by gifting Kimmel something special from his show.

— Abid Rahman, HollywoodReporter, 16 Sep. 2026
Colbert had no hesitation about taking the tool to his facial hair, shaving it off and returning to his recognizable clean-shaven look.

— Michelle Lee, PEOPLE, 16 Sep. 2026

Definition of shaving

Verb

Then Bottura started saucing it, slicing it and feeding event attendees who had gathered to watch the spectacle unfold.

— Melinda Sheckells, HollywoodReporter, 23 Sep. 2026
Marshall threw him into space, and Nagy did the rest, slicing through the heart of Arizona State’s defense and racing into the end zone to cut the deficit to 24-14 and give KU a semblance of late life.

— Taylor Eldridge, Kansas City Star, 19 Sep. 2026

Definition of slicing

Verb

By cutting the number of working holiday visas, critics say, the government risks causing more economic pain.

— Hilary Whiteman, CNN Money, 18 Sep. 2026
The state’s top law enforcement officer will not shed any light on why subpoenas were recently served on a slew of Broward County officials regarding the county’s efforts to explore cutting ties with the Broward Sheriff’s Office.

— Rafael Olmeda, Sun Sentinel, 18 Sep. 2026

Definition of cutting

Verb

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
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

Definition of slitting

Verb

From Jonathan Allen to Bryan Cook to Boye Mafe to Cashius Howell to Lawrence, everybody had a hand in it — usually one ripping at Baker Mayfield’s grip on the football.

— Paul Dehner Jr, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2026
Wildfires are ripping across parts of Indonesia, destroying precious peatland and smothering the country in a toxic smoke so thick, people are struggling to breathe.

— Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 9 Sep. 2026

Definition of ripping

Verb

Decades later, a relative sent Dottie a newspaper clipping about the Foster study, which included an archival photo of her grandmother.

— Julian Lucas, New Yorker, 21 Sep. 2026
Brands, including sports leagues, understand that content clipping is both a marketing strategy and a way to engage with new and established audiences.

— Felipe Cardenas, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2026

Definition of clipping

Verb

As well as slashing the number of third-year visas to 5,000, the number of second-year visas is being cut from 57,000 to 45,000.

— Hilary Whiteman, CNN Money, 18 Sep. 2026
Swelling Workforce Channel 4 is slashing its workforce by 28%, with around half of commissioning roles at risk.

— Max Goldbart, Deadline, 17 Sep. 2026

Definition of slashing

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“Shearing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shearing. Accessed 26 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of shearing

verb

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