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
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The decision to move elections to November shaves several months off the existing terms of the mayor, vice mayor and commissioners.—
Michelle Marchante,
Miami Herald,
22 Apr. 2026 -
For beard trims and shaves, go to Pisterzi in Soho.—
The Editors,
Curbed,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Driven by revenge and madness, Sweeney Todd slices necks he is meant to just shave.—
Christopher Arnott,
Hartford Courant,
16 June 2026
-
Her foot slices down the side of the ball.—
Jack Lang,
New York Times,
9 June 2026
Verb
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Amid rising travel costs, Nguyen prioritizes travel in her budget and cuts expenses elsewhere.—
Kathleen Wong,
USA Today,
22 June 2026
-
If the business stabilizes, cuts costs, sells an underperforming division, or improves capital allocation, the stock can re-rate quickly.—
Jim Osman,
Forbes.com,
21 June 2026
Verb
-
The audience never sees the monstrous version of Naim that Ryan is so afraid of, one that rips his skin apart and bruises him, cementing Naim’s position as the story’s narrator.—
Arushi Jacob,
Variety,
19 June 2026
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Continue reading … GLOVES OFF — Fired '60 Minutes' veteran rips new bosses as incompetent, claims pro-Trump bias.—
,
FOXNews.com,
8 June 2026
Verb
-
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
-
Joe Rodon clips a pass over the top of the Brentford defence for Calvert-Lewin to contest.—
Beren Cross,
New York Times,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The process cuts down air pollution and slashes industrial water consumption.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
10 June 2026
-
Rivian slashes service wait times.—
Joel Feder,
The Drive,
10 June 2026
Verb
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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
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For 2026, the hybrid is offered in LXS, EX, SX, and SX Prestige trims.—
Michael Harley,
Forbes.com,
27 May 2026
Verb
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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
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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
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Cite this Entry
“Shears.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shears. Accessed 22 Jun. 2026.
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