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sheer

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verb

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as in to deviate
to change one's course or direction the cruise ship sheered to the northwest, putting it safely out of the path of the hurricane

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Synonym Chooser

How is the word sheer different from other adjectives like it?

Some common synonyms of sheer are abrupt, precipitous, and steep. While all these words mean "having an incline approaching the perpendicular," sheer suggests an unbroken perpendicular expanse.

sheer cliffs that daunted the climbers

When would abrupt be a good substitute for sheer?

Although the words abrupt and sheer have much in common, abrupt implies a sharper pitch and a sudden break in the level.

a beach with an abrupt drop-off

When is precipitous a more appropriate choice than sheer?

The meanings of precipitous and sheer largely overlap; however, precipitous applies to an incline approaching the vertical.

the river winds through a precipitous gorge

When is it sensible to use steep instead of sheer?

While in some cases nearly identical to sheer, steep implies such sharpness of pitch that ascent or descent is very difficult.

a steep hill
a steep dive

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 sheer
Adjective
Cut two ways, it will be shown in lace with a sheer jersey lining and in a silver metallic knit resembling the chainmail of the Knights Templar. Ari Stark, Footwear News, 9 Sep. 2025 From underwear-baring sheer gowns to throwbacks from the fashion archives, the event’s red carpet was, this year, fun and risqué in equal measure. Oscar Holland, CNN Money, 8 Sep. 2025
Verb
Its thin, almost-watery texture delivers an exceptional burst of color, that despite its weight, does not sheer out when blended. Kiana Murden, Vogue, 18 Apr. 2025 For instance, satellite photos from Planet Labs PBC show the earthquake toppled the air traffic control tower at Naypyitaw International Airport as if sheered from its base, according to The Associated Press. Michael Dorgan, FOXNews.com, 29 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for sheer
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sheer
Adjective
  • Runge advises patients to ask how AI tools are being used in their care, choose providers who are transparent, and expect bedside empathy alongside cutting-edge diagnostics.
    Nia Bowers, USA Today, 12 Sep. 2025
  • In this way, cosmic dust behaves as a very efficient absorber of visible light, is only lightly absorbed by near-infrared light, and is practically perfectly transparent to mid-infrared (and longer) wavelengths of light.
    Ethan Siegel, Big Think, 12 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Here was the postwar American housewife—neatly dressed, pretty, poised, active—stepping unwittingly into a scene of utter depravity and sadism that reflected back at this wholesome young mother the darkest recesses of the human mind.
    Maureen Lee Lenker, Entertainment Weekly, 10 Sep. 2025
  • Such comments demonstrate his utter disregard for and distrust of law enforcement and our legal process.
    U T Readers, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Some technology geeks may indeed be attracted to these features, though there are trade-offs here, and steep ones, as many normies will also find these features absolutely infuriating.
    Jeremy Lott, The Washington Examiner, 12 Sep. 2025
  • Trump’s immigration crackdown is at odds with his efforts to bring foreign money into the US and could unsettle trade talks with South Korea, which in July pledged $350 billion in investments in exchange for being spared steep tariffs.
    Rohan Goswami, semafor.com, 11 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Use words, phrases, and approaches that deviate from traditional power-play leadership to cultivate a revolutionary, individualistic leadership style.
    Serenity Gibbons, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025
  • The Princess of Wales has rarely deviated from her signature brunette tresses, often styled in a bouncy blowout, since marrying into the royal family in 2011.
    Janine Henni, PEOPLE, 8 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • One person was killed Monday when a sports car veered off a rural roadway near Pala Casino and crashed into a tree.
    City News Service, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Sep. 2025
  • His lyrics, once steeped in political protest, began veering into surreal, layered poetry.
    Jordan Runtagh, PEOPLE, 10 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Apple is also offering two cases for the smartphone, a translucent case that is less than 1mm thin.
    James Powel, USA Today, 10 Sep. 2025
  • The update promised clarity and focus by stripping away leather stitching, felt, and other textures in favor of flat colors, thin fonts, and translucent panes.
    Bill Schiffmiller, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Well, despite Peaches dying, all Robbie got was a massive load of pure fentanyl.
    Grace Byron, Vulture, 15 Sep. 2025
  • Soon, boundary-free mowing took hold, powered by new technologies like pure vision, UWB, and RTK—each with merits and drawbacks.
    Ni Tao, Interesting Engineering, 15 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • For nearly four decades, Armenia and Azerbaijan have skirmished with each other, primarily over Nagorno-Karabakh, a mountainous region that both countries claim.
    Mark Temnycky, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
  • In a small region of the mountainous forests in Brazil, the peaks meet the clouds and humidity fills the air.
    Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 9 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

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

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