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
Verb
-
Hockey players cut more, so Emmet shaves deeper.—
Blair Braverman,
Outside,
22 Dec. 2025 -
To achieve this, Hank takes control in the dynamic and shaves Aaron’s entire body.—
Jourdain Searles,
HollywoodReporter,
28 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
In September, cuts to subsea cables in the Red Sea caused disruptions to Microsoft's Azure cloud service.—
Magdalena Petrova,
CNBC,
8 Nov. 2025
-
Together with fellow oligarch Gennadiy Bogolyubov, who cuts a comparatively lower profile, Kolomoisky amassed a sizable portfolio.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Place slices in a dry skillet over medium heat.—
Sabrina Weiss,
PEOPLE,
28 Oct. 2025
-
Place slices 1 inch apart on prepared cookie sheets.—
Jessica Saari Christensen,
Better Homes & Gardens,
18 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The carry handles each have a magnetic piece that then clips together to form a single bar to grasp.—
Adam Campbell-Schmitt,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
18 Sep. 2025
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For messing up, Martha clips Gabriel’s wings, forcing him to live life as a human, with a new casual wardrobe to match and a taste for fast food.—
Michael Rechtshaffen,
HollywoodReporter,
7 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Eleven flies up to be face-to-face with the Mind Flayer, rips out his throat, jumps inside, and in one sleek-as-hell move, rips Vecna down from the Mind Flayer power source he’s been plugged into.—
Maggie Fremont,
Vulture,
1 Jan. 2026
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In the clip, Oshry, who welcomed her first son Reuben, with her husband, Ben Soffer, in May, reaches into her fridge to grab a head of cabbage, then rips open her animal-print bathrobe to show a compression bra stuffed with cabbage leaves.—
Cara Lynn Shultz,
PEOPLE,
16 Dec. 2025
Verb
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To keep my beard looking attractive, a hairstylist trims it every two weeks.—
Abigail Van Buren,
Boston Herald,
24 Dec. 2025
-
As of October 27, the CME FedWatch tool derived from 30-Day Fed Funds futures implies a roughly 98% probability that the Fed trims the policy rate by 25 basis points this week.—
Robert Daugherty,
Forbes.com,
29 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
At some point, Alice slashes the tires on Rachel’s car.—
Sam Reed,
Glamour,
9 Jan. 2026
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There, Constance slashes her face with a knife.—
Randall Colburn,
Entertainment Weekly,
9 Dec. 2025
Verb
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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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In the footage, Sally leans forward, flips her hair over her face, and snips the ends.—
Lydia Patrick,
MSNBC Newsweek,
20 Aug. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Shears.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shears. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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