SHEARS Synonyms: 61 Similar and Opposite Words

shears

verb

present tense third-person singular of shear

as in shaves

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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in slits

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 Synonyms for shears

Verb

Its ceramic blades easily tackle coarse hair and its waterproof design makes in-shower shaves a breeze.

— Sara Coughlin, Allure, 5 July 2026
Zillow says that a pale pink bathroom could lose you up to $6,013, while a pale pink kitchen shaves an extra $4,201 off potential buyers' offers.

— Sophia Beams, Better Homes & Gardens, 24 June 2026

Definition of shaves

Verb

Unlike a razor, which simply cuts hair at the surface, an epilator removes it from the root by mechanically plucking multiple hairs at once.

— Iman Balagam, Vogue, 17 July 2026
The headline feature across the lineup is Air Fry Max which, according to Samsung, delivers crispy results without the need to preheat and cuts cooking times by up to 15% compared to the Air Fry modes found on previous-gen models.

— Paul Lamkin, Forbes.com, 17 July 2026

Definition of cuts

Verb

It’s followed by Watts, coming in on drums slightly offbeat, and then Richards, who rips the song open with his five-string open G tuning technique.

— René Ostberg, Encyclopedia Britannica, 8 July 2026
During his tour, a solar flare causes an electromagnetic disturbance that rips through the systems of civilization and into the data center.

— Dan Piepenbring, Harpers Magazine, 30 June 2026

Definition of rips

Verb

All of my essentials are packed in my Stowaway, which clips into my weekender as a bag organizer, and can clip out to be worn on its own as a crossbody when walking around during the day or as a clutch when going out in the evening.

— Elly Leavitt, Vogue, 16 July 2026
This compact tote folds into a small pouch that clips directly onto your keys and expands into a functional bag when needed.

— Corein Carter, Forbes.com, 29 May 2026

Definition of clips

Verb

Spink’s optimism about the growth opportunities in Saudi Arabia comes even as the kingdom trims capital expenditure, cuts some projects, and limits spending on foreign consultants.

— Matthew Martin, semafor.com, 1 July 2026
Coppola's preferred version of the film, Final Cut, removes or trims a handful of sequences, including the exchange between Willard (Martin Sheen) and the Playboy Playmates, and Kurtz (Marlon Brando) reading from TIME magazine.

— Britt Hayes, Entertainment Weekly, 16 June 2026

Definition of trims

Verb

Grandmother takes a small pair of scissors from her bag and snips a swatch from the green cloth, then slips it into her pocket.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 4 Mar. 2026
Using scissors, Boesch, who trained at the Rhode Island School of Design, typically snips cards into pieces and reassembles them into depictions of such subjects as Lady Liberty, Yankee Stadium, Andy Warhol, Derek Jeter, and Pizza Rat.

— Taran Dugal, New Yorker, 5 Jan. 2026

Definition of snips

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shearing

shears

sheath

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“Shears.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shears. Accessed 21 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of shears

verb

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