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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
This was the first of eight trips the nonprofit would make to deliver sheds. Chelsea Torres, FOXNews.com, 2 July 2025 For everyday operations, there’s a substantial covered tractor barn, plus smaller outbuildings and sheds. David Caraccio, Sacbee.com, 2 July 2025
Noun
The actor previously shed light on his turbulent childhood while testifying during his defamation trial against ex-wife Amber Heard in April 2022. Jen Juneau, People.com, 8 July 2025 In the video, Mamdani sheds more light on his views of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Gabe Friedman, Sun Sentinel, 7 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for shed
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shed
Verb
  • Keep your eyes peeled for beavers in the three lakes, moose grazing near the shoreline, and various bird species throughout the journey.
    AFAR Media, AFAR Media, 7 July 2025
  • Nailing down these basics might sound tedious, but trust us: These habits will save your future self (and sensitive skin) a whole lot of pain, peeling, and regret down the line.
    Korin Miller, SELF, 7 July 2025
Verb
  • Stratton unloaded an array of moves on Stratus, including a suplex that ended with Stratus hitting Stratton’s knees.
    Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 14 July 2025
  • Gonzalo Fuentes | Reuters Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang unloaded roughly $36.4 million worth of stock in the leading artificial intelligence chipmaker, according to a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filing.
    Samantha Subin, CNBC, 11 July 2025
Noun
  • On the state's southwest coast on June 21, three people suffered minor injuries after lightning struck a tiki hut on the beach, according to the Marco Island Police Department.
    Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA Today, 26 June 2025
  • And women peering out of small wooden huts in epic Arctic wildernesses.
    James Rebanks June 26, Literary Hub, 26 June 2025
Verb
  • That means ditching jargon, simplifying the language, and embedding meaningful guidance at every step, not just in financial education courses, but in checkout flows, customer service chats, and everyday social content.
    Kate Hardcastle, Forbes.com, 18 July 2025
  • The easing of these requirements could spell an end to travelers guzzling liquids at checkpoints and ditching items that do not meet the size allowance.
    Brendan Cole, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 July 2025
Verb
  • Or, excuse me, that should read Lily’s dancer boyfriend, Diego, dumped her and her subsequent breakdown is one more thing for Charlotte to worry about.
    Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 11 July 2025
  • The bout of storms comes after torrential rainfall Tuesday night dumped nearly 5.5 inches of rain within 90 minutes, prompting reports of flooding in basements and viaducts on the city’s West Side.
    Tess Kenny, Chicago Tribune, 11 July 2025
Noun
  • Given Freudenberger’s expertise transforming everything from ski chalets to surf shacks, the project felt destined to be.
    David Foxley, Architectural Digest, 7 July 2025
  • Lucky Lou’s Raw Bar 123 NE 20th Ave., Deerfield Beach Sometime later this summer, the former Bru’s Room near the Deerfield Beach International Fishing Pier will turn into a casual oyster bar and sporty seafood shack.
    Phillip Valys, Sun Sentinel, 7 July 2025
Verb
  • When the markets washed out in April, these CEFs were discarded by their vanilla dividend owners.
    Brett Owens, Forbes.com, 13 July 2025
  • The first-stage booster that had been tapped during the original attempts was discarded for a new booster.
    Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 13 July 2025
Verb
  • Dozens of students gathered Tuesday evening at a vigil held in front of the University of Texas Tower, hosted by the University Panhellenic Council and Zeta Tau Alpha sorority's Kappa chapter, to mourn the lives lost.
    Austin American Statesman, Austin American Statesman, 9 July 2025
  • But revived Western cooperation on Iran might at least give those inside the Trump administration who still prize America’s alliances hope that all is not yet lost.
    John R. Bolton, The Atlantic, 9 July 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Shed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shed. Accessed 22 Jul. 2025.

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