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
Relevance
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
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
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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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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Studying the inner structure of a cactus usually involves slicing the column into pieces, then adding weights to different sections.—
John Leos,
AZCentral.com,
10 Nov. 2025
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Let cool in dish on a wire rack for 10 minutes before slicing.—
Kimberly Holland,
Southern Living,
10 Nov. 2025
Verb
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In 2022, debris from an underwater volcanic eruption severed the island's only subsea communication cable, cutting the island off from the rest of the world.—
Magdalena Petrova,
CNBC,
8 Nov. 2025
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Richard’s motor ran high despite the lopsided score, cutting for two layups and also canning a 3-pointer to put up a quick seven points in the period.—
Joseph Dycus,
Mercury News,
8 Nov. 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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Tidy it up, trimming off any leggy, weak winter growth.—
Leanne Potts,
Better Homes & Gardens,
10 Nov. 2025
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Arrange soaked ladyfingers in a single layer in bottom of an 8-inch square baking dish, trimming or breaking ladyfingers as needed to fit.—
Amanda Holstein,
Southern Living,
9 Nov. 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 22 Nov. 2025.
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