shearing

verb

present participle of shear
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

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
  1. shaving
  2. slicing
  3. cutting
  4. slitting
  5. trimming
  6. ripping
  7. clipping
  8. slashing
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
  • Three people were arrested earlier this week after Woodland police found heavy-gauge copper wire and cutting tools in their vehicle near a community center where wiring had been stolen from about 10 light poles, authorities said.
    — Daniel Hunt, Sacbee.com, 25 Sep. 2026
  • My focus is cutting traffic gridlock through AI light synchronization, equipping police with advanced tech, protecting residential zoning against over-development, and streamlining municipal permitting with strict fiscal accountability.
    — Miami Herald staff, Miami Herald, 25 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
  • In the most recent two years, the Democrat believed the county was cutting into bone rather than trimming fat.
    — Rachel Royster, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 Sep. 2026
  • That means inspecting flood control and drainage systems, trimming trees that could knock down power lines during high winds, and reinforcing or maintaining infrastructure such as dams, stormwater channels, roads and bridges.
    — Bethany Tietjen, The Conversation, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of trimming
Verb
  • In nearly a third of petitions, beneficiaries requested a detailed accounting of the trust’s finances, which Horton said reflects beneficiaries who suspected their trustees were mismanaging funds or ripping them off.
    — Hayley Cuccinello, CNBC, 25 Sep. 2026
  • Now, the operator can add additional vendors without ripping out its orchestration software, negotiate on outcomes rather than lock-in and upgrade the AI models independently of the hardware.
    — John Healy, Forbes.com, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of ripping
Verb
  • The sequence stylistically excises itself from the episode as though clipping it, anticipating its excision from the show when uploaded to a video-sharing platform.
    — Harmon Siegel, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2026
  • 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
Definition of clipping
Verb
  • Hilton has made a slew of campaign promises to lower the cost of living, including $3 gasoline, no taxes on income below $150,000 and lowering energy bills by slashing climate-friendly regulations imposed by Democrats.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 24 Sep. 2026
  • The crooks beat him savagely, at one point slashing him with a machete, while demanding his iPhone password, officials said.
    — Colin Mixson, New York Daily News, 22 Sep. 2026
Definition of slashing

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Cite this Entry

“Shearing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shearing. Accessed 3 Oct. 2026.

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