1
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
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
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shears
Verb
-
Those varying responses often have an offsetting effect that shaves off the most extreme edges of the group’s volatility.—
Catherine Brock,
Forbes.com,
27 Aug. 2025 -
Accessories, colored extensions, and unique shaves all accentuate the beauty of natural hair to help anyone achieve the best natural hairstyles for curly hair.—
Ashley Alese Edwards,
Glamour,
26 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
The camera cuts between Dennis, who’s sobbing, and Roman, who’s horrified, processing Dennis’ betrayal.—
Barry Levitt,
Time,
5 Sep. 2025
-
While screen technology that cuts blue light down to 1% is impressive compared with current technology, blue light in general isn’t conclusively bad for your health.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
5 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Pair slices with a hot cup of coffee or a cappuccino to enhance the coffee flavors, or enjoy them alongside vanilla ice cream for a contrast of temperatures and textures.—
Elizabeth Fogarty,
Better Homes & Gardens,
4 Sep. 2025
-
The trailer showcases tons of undead violence, dismembered limbs and the official Marvel debut of Blade Knight, a Moon Knight and Blade variant who slices up an undead Ghost from the Thunderbolts in a flashy display of swordsmanship.—
Jordan Moreau,
Variety,
2 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The latter happens when a ball clips the net before dropping in play.—
Amber Corrine,
VIBE.com,
3 Sep. 2019
Verb
-
But Thing, who Isaac had sewn back onto his arm, regains his autonomy and rips Isaac’s heart out.—
Selome Hailu,
Variety,
5 Sep. 2025
-
Roberts brings a jolt of invigorating fury to one of the movie’s strongest scenes, in which the mentor rips into her mentee in public on a campus square with a fully detailed character assassination.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
29 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Skip the pricey groomer visits and messy bathroom trims with this Labor Day deal.—
Jessie Quinn,
USA Today,
1 Sep. 2025
-
The move trims the quarterback room down to four players, including Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett, Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
24 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
This high-speed rotation slashes production time for cylindrical components by more than two-thirds.—
Georgina Jedikovska,
Interesting Engineering,
3 Sep. 2025
-
The recession warning even assumes the Federal Reserve slashes rates, starting next month.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
22 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
In the footage, Sally leans forward, flips her hair over her face, and snips the ends.—
Lydia Patrick,
MSNBC Newsweek,
20 Aug. 2025
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.
Cite this Entry
“Shears.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shears. Accessed 11 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share