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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In general, electrification cuts energy costs, removes the volatility of fuel prices, and builds more resilient operations.—
Justin Worland,
Time,
29 May 2026
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Tens of thousands of jobs cuts across the industry have increased competition for open spots.—
Lisa Eadicicco,
CNN Money,
28 May 2026
Verb
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The hotel is on the corner of Mission Street, which slices diagonally through the city, and the Embarcadero, which hugs the waterfront from the Bay Bridge west to Fisherman’s Wharf.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 June 2026
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The ones that are accepted are run through a machine that shakes the envelopes — this makes the ballot sink to the bottom of the envelope — and slices them open.—
Kaitlyn Schallhorn,
Oc Register,
28 May 2026
Verb
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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
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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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Pollinator-friendly plants are clustered across the large property, a hedge against the next storm that rips away the canopy.—
Christopher Elliott,
Forbes.com,
23 May 2026
-
Over eight episodes, the first season of Nemesis rips through more fiery events and story than most shows could in a multi-year run.—
Derek Lawrence,
HollywoodReporter,
17 May 2026
Verb
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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
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The 2026 model, with only minor changes from 2025, is available in Premiere, Reserve and Black Label trims.—
James Raia,
Mercury News,
1 May 2026
Verb
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Just in time for summer, Amazon’s Memorial Day sale slashes 25% off the price of these Nike Calm Mules, which play off the trending sneakers-to-sandals trend.—
Tim Chan,
Footwear News,
22 May 2026
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SpaceX's Starlink is rolling out a new deal that slashes the monthly price of the satellite internet service in the US by $21.—
Michael Kan,
PC Magazine,
5 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 5 Jun. 2026.
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