shears

verb

present tense third-person singular of shear
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

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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
  1. shaves
  2. slices
  3. cuts
  4. rips
  5. clips
  6. slashes
  7. trims
  8. snips
Verb
  • That shaves a year off the typical 120-hour bachelor’s degree.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 24 Aug. 2026
  • For example, using behind-the-meter battery storage or local generation during peak windows actively shaves expensive demand charges without sacrificing performance.
    — Ray Fernandez, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of shaves
Verb
  • Wild Lab Bakery sells decadent peanut butter cup cookies, as well, and Missy’s Pies slices up a droolworthy combo that features a layer of peanut butter on top of a chocolate brownie.
    — Joey Skladany, Southern Living, 28 Sep. 2026
  • The Yellowstone River slices through its middle, a miles-long stretch of meadow called the Yellowstone Valley.
    — Christine Peterson, Outdoor Life, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of slices
Verb
  • The column also presents the military leadership cuts as a reason for concern about the resilience of democratic institutions, especially if experienced leaders are removed while the administration concentrates power.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Then, the film cuts to show our protagonist’s hand hovering in front of a slide projector displaying a plot of cheap land in South Carolina where nuclear weapons were developed during the Cold War.
    — Emily Watlington, ARTnews.com, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of cuts
Verb
  • Donalds rips opponent’s ‘complete 180’ as Dem’s own 2016 words come back to haunt him in tightening gov race.
    — , FOXNews.com, 25 Sep. 2026
  • During a process called Hills capture, as a stellar binary orbits a supermassive black hole and the gravitational influence of the black hole rips the binary apart, ejecting one star while capturing the other.
    — Robert Lea, Space.com, 1 Sep. 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
  • The company wants Starship to be a fully and rapidly reusable transport system that slashes the cost of spaceflight.
    — Sven Bilén, The Conversation, 29 Sep. 2026
  • This setup slashes solvent consumption by 40 percent and cuts the equipment footprint by more than half.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of slashes
Verb
  • The change, announced in a presentation on Wednesday, is part of a broader shift in Microsoft’s reporting structure, as the company trims its operating segments from three to two.
    — Jordan Novet, CNBC, 2 Sep. 2026
  • To make things easier, Instagram rolled out a new First Draft tool on Tuesday that automatically trims your clips and prepares them for the next stage of the editing process.
    — Jibin Joseph, PC Magazine, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of trims
Verb
  • Benson snips off a portion of Kaylee’s hair in one shot, followed by a snap of the musician wrapping his arms around his older sister in a comforting hug.
    — Catherine Santino, PEOPLE, 13 July 2026
  • 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
Definition of snips
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.

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shearing
shears
sheath
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Cite this Entry

“Shears.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shears. Accessed 6 Oct. 2026.

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