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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
These rodents can infest all aspects of a home, including the shed, garage, attic, or even lawnmowers, automobiles, and barbecue grills. Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 1 Oct. 2025 Four of them lived in a shed that subsequently burned down. Lea Veloso, StyleCaster, 1 Oct. 2025
Noun
The team’s data sheds new light on the universe’s ancient history, allowing scientists to better investigate the role asteroids have played in shaping our planet. Chris Young, Interesting Engineering, 3 Oct. 2025 Kids crying u/DruncleMuncledelta A June 2023 survey conducted on behalf of travel site Kayak sheds light on broader attitudes. Soo Kim, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for shed
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shed
Verb
  • Firemen in their command center calm the fears of the locals who call in, law enforcement tracks down tomb robbers, while in the port of Torre Annunziata, Syrian tankers unload Ukrainian grain.
    Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 3 Oct. 2025
  • As someone who worked his way up from unloading trucks in the warehouse to eventually landing in the C-suite, McMillon embodies how staying dedicated to one employer can work wonders for aspiring leaders—in contrast to job-hopping in search of potential pay gains.
    Preston Fore, Fortune, 1 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Moving backward and forward through time, the hut seems like the spear, which seems like the stone, the diorama, and the photograph, like my laptop and your magazine.
    Harmon Siegel, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2025
  • There are also no regulations for construction, which typically leads to conflicts when new houses or huts pop up along the beaches.
    Sabrina Weiss, The Dial, 23 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • The Dodgers have ditched that for a new cutter.
    Fabian Ardaya, New York Times, 30 Sep. 2025
  • Their underground campaign ditched the standard teaser, trailer, poster and TV spots approach for a single cryptic billboard, a mysterious telephone number, and a trail of online breadcrumbs to entice fans to figure out the mystery of the film.
    Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 28 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Coach Joanne is dead set on turning things around this season despite having just been brutally dumped by her girlfriend and co-founder of the team.
    Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 2 Oct. 2025
  • Ross took over for Joe Maddon, who five years earlier replaced Rick Renteria in a prior example of the Cubs dumping a first-time manager for a more experienced, accomplished hand.
    Ken Rosenthal, New York Times, 1 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • She was also taken, the only one who got away from the monster with a bloody saw in a shack in the woods.
    Mary Ann Grossmann, Twin Cities, 21 Sep. 2025
  • In addition to picking up culinary inspiration from some of the best barbecue shacks in the South, Hofman also discovered one important ingredient — friendliness, the site says.
    Jessica Peralta, Oc Register, 19 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • If your bulbs feel squishy, discard them.
    Erica Browne Grivas, Better Homes & Gardens, 5 Oct. 2025
  • Non-reusable textiles (otherwise known as NRTs) are of particular interest, underscored by ACT UK’s report that the region discards 740,000 metric tons of NRT every year.
    Alexandra Harrell, Sourcing Journal, 3 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office's most recent analysis from June estimates 16 million Americans will lose their health care coverage by 2034 due to the cuts to Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act.
    Beth Warren, Nashville Tennessean, 3 Oct. 2025
  • Many argue that Japan is at risk of losing its way of life, or that Japanese workers are being edged out of jobs.
    Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 3 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Our gardens and farms, our houses, porches, lean-tos, gazebos and birdhouses are statements of power and possession but also more than that.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 19 Sep. 2025
  • 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

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Cite this Entry

“Shed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shed. Accessed 7 Oct. 2025.

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