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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
As her home collapsed, Thomas’ family escaped to a small shed on higher ground overlooking the creek, an offshoot of the Toe River. Luciana Perez Uribe Guinassi, Charlotte Observer, 22 Sep. 2025 Described as small but mighty by Shed of the Year founder Andrew Wilcox, the Tiny Workshop was conceived when Robinson couldn't find a shed that perfectly matched his small garden plot. New Atlas, 19 Sep. 2025
Noun
The chain is now shedding leases in areas that have notably less business. Nathaniel Meyersohn, CNN Money, 26 Sep. 2025 Brock Purdy is back and has even shed his injury designation. Jerry McDonald, Mercury News, 26 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for shed
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shed
Verb
  • For indoor storage, guns should be kept unloaded and locked in appropriate safes or lockboxes for handguns, with ammunition in a separate safe, the AAP recommends.
    Kristen Rogers, CNN Money, 26 Sep. 2025
  • Coast Guard members unloaded bales of cocaine from the cutter Midgett at the Marine Terminal in Barrio Logan on Thursday.
    San Diego Union-Tribune, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • 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
  • Capanna Gambarogno Perched dramatically at the top of the region’s namesake mountain, Capanna Gambarogno is a former military barracks that’s been lovingly restored by former Swiss Olympic snowboard coach Pepe Regazzi and converted into a cozy alpine hut accommodation for adventurers.
    Lisa Kadane, Travel + Leisure, 22 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Eve’s love story continues to captivate fans who are hoping to ditch the frogs and ride off into the sunset with their own successful Prince Charming.
    Elizabeth Ayoola, Essence, 22 Sep. 2025
  • Now, the Nuggets are ditching one of their training camp signings early.
    Alex Kirschenbaum, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Callie, the hottest person at Seattle Grace, went through so much turmoil and humiliation in her relationships prior to that, including, but not limited to, being cheated on by her husband and being dumped by a newly out lesbian who couldn’t handle her being bisexual.
    James Factora, Them., 26 Sep. 2025
  • Old Nazi warheads and US warships have been reclaimed by a new army of diverse marine life, as scientists uncover how nature has made use of the munitions and fleets that ended up dumped in waterways during the two world conflicts.
    New Atlas, New Atlas, 25 Sep. 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
  • In general, soft cheeses like cream cheese, ricotta, and fresh mozzarella should be discarded with any signs of spoilage, including pink discoloration.
    Katie Rosenhouse, Southern Living, 28 Sep. 2025
  • Soup holding internally at 113 degrees F after cooling for 2 hours (discarded).
    Gege Reed, Louisville Courier Journal, 26 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Indonesian gymnastics has lost one of the nation's finest sons.
    Victoria Beaule, ABC News, 26 Sep. 2025
  • If a player is left in a room, they will be stuck there, losing a point each round, until another player returns to the room to release them.
    Kayti Burt, Time, 26 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 29 Sep. 2025.

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