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shed

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noun

Synonym Chooser

How is the word shed different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of shed are cast, discard, junk, scrap, and slough. While all these words mean "to get rid of," shed and slough imply a throwing off of something both useless and encumbering and often suggest a consequent renewal of vitality or luster.

shed a bad habit
finally sloughed off the depression

When would cast be a good substitute for shed?

Although the words cast and shed have much in common, cast, especially when used with off, away, or out, implies a forceful rejection or repudiation.

cast off her friends

When is it sensible to use discard instead of shed?

While the synonyms discard and shed are close in meaning, discard implies the letting go or throwing away of something that has become useless or superfluous though often not intrinsically valueless.

discard old clothes

How do scrap and junk relate to one another, in the sense of shed?

Both scrap and junk imply throwing away or breaking up as worthless in existent form.

scrap all the old ways
would junk our educational system

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of shed
Verb
Remove tomato cages or stakes and place them in the storage shed. Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 7 Sep. 2025 Unsurpringly, 50 pieces of rodent regularity dotted the floor of the dry storage shed and three rodent droppings under the Frosty machine. David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 5 Sep. 2025
Noun
New records provided to The Bee shed more light on their relationship through Cutright’s role as a volunteer firefighter. Jake Goodrick, Sacbee.com, 12 Sep. 2025 Sometimes people looked at us in a biased way, so being able to shed that was huge. Billboard Japan, Billboard, 12 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for shed
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shed
Verb
  • Glabe’s sales follow those of board member Eric Swider, who has also sharply reduced his holdings, unloading around 165,000 shares since November.
    Zach Everson, Forbes.com, 13 Sep. 2025
  • From there, the product would be unloaded, securely packaged, and transported to the cartel’s stateside distributors.
    Martin Suarez, Rolling Stone, 13 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • One of the images shared showed what appeared to be a makeshift hut surrounded by trees, while another showed a shelter, and one featured a tent and tarp, a gas bottle,a camping stove, and packs of what appeared to be alcohol.
    Becca Longmire, PEOPLE, 10 Sep. 2025
  • There are also several huts spread across the prairie.
    Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 9 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Kendall Jenner has ditched her clothes for multiple Calvin Klein underwear campaigns and has been working with the brand for years.
    Hedy Phillips, PEOPLE, 9 Sep. 2025
  • That's the general summary of the argument insider Robert Murray of FanSided made on Monday, when suggesting that the slugger could ditch Philadelphia for one of his former clubs.
    Jackson Roberts, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • The last is dumping iron dust into the Southern Ocean to provoke phytoplankton blooms that would suck heat-trapping carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, a move that set off a backlash when an American entrepreneur tried it off Canada in 2012.
    Alec Luhn, Scientific American, 11 Sep. 2025
  • For years, the expanse of dirt and weeds had served as a convenient location for locals to dump trash.
    Maureen Lee Lenker, Entertainment Weekly, 10 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • In Georgia, Beau and Emma moved from an uninsulated shack into a safe, modern home built by Habitat for Humanity volunteers.
    Jason Ma, Fortune, 7 Sep. 2025
  • Imagine smoky jerk chicken cooked to perfection on an open-flame at a roadside shack, beckoning you to stop by for a mouthwatering bite.
    Martie Bowser, Miami Herald, 5 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Remove steak from marinade, discarding the jalapeno slices.
    Elizabeth Nelson, Southern Living, 14 Sep. 2025
  • After taking the necessary photos, consumers should discard the fridge according to local and state regulations.
    Greta Cross, USA Today, 12 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Many journalists don’t want to lose access and are subject to coercion and intimidation that can influence their reporting.
    Sean Durns, The Washington Examiner, 12 Sep. 2025
  • One side will win, and one side will lose.
    Phillip M. Bailey, USA Today, 12 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Kensett—former head chef at Storico, New York; Goldeneye, Jamaica; and The Fife Arms, Braemar—cooked outdoors on embers in a lean-to.
    Carlton Reid, Forbes.com, 25 Aug. 2025
  • In this case, the lean-to was reportedly formed by downed trees.
    Jami Ganz, New York Daily News, 23 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Shed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shed. Accessed 16 Sep. 2025.

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