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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
The sheer size of the Chinese market has long been tantalizing to Western consumer brands like Starbucks. Phil Wahba, Fortune, 4 Nov. 2025 Nash-Betts paired the dress with sheer black tights and also wore a pair of pointed-toe black heels to augment her monochrome motif. Julia Teti, Footwear News, 3 Nov. 2025
Verb
Minutes after clearing the dock, the vessel's three 147-foot (44.8-meter) masts were sheered by the underside of the bridge, Reuters reported, knocking several naval cadets off its crossbeams. Hugh Cameron, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 May 2025 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 See All Example Sentences for sheer
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sheer
Adjective
  • Lee made a video about the clear-shoe trend, adopted by the likes of Simone Rocha and Loewe for spring 2026; Loewe layered socks of different colors with transparent kitten heels.
    Jaden Thompson, Footwear News, 31 Oct. 2025
  • As some contract employers attempted to be as transparent as possible, NASA's communication efforts with its own workforce shrank over the course of the year.
    Josh Dinner, Space.com, 31 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Of course, the key is to meld all three of those identities into one, a hockey Voltron of utter dominance.
    Mark Lazerus, New York Times, 2 Nov. 2025
  • The TikTok video was posted on October 8, and social-media users are obsessed with the dog’s utter distaste toward the litter of puppies.
    Alyce Collins, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Luckily, this option from Quince offers all of the luxury without the steep price tag typically associated with cashmere.
    Averi Baudler, PEOPLE, 30 Oct. 2025
  • This resulted in a dearth of micro-collections of organic cotton T-shirts or one-off collections that didn’t address the company’s larger goals, while general consumption and production were on a steep rise.
    Bella Webb, Vogue, 30 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Boko Haram has targeted Christians and churches, as well as Muslims whose beliefs deviate from those of the group.
    Ellie Cook, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2025
  • Flightradar24 said air traffic control audio and flight tracking showed that the Southwest plane was forced to deviate from its course to avoid the Eurocopter helicopter that was passing in front of it in the Cleveland incident.
    David Shepardson, USA Today, 2 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • That said, this is probably because I was raised on my Mom’s Old-Fashioned Bread Stuffing that might veer too basic for some.
    Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 30 Oct. 2025
  • The chase ended in shocking fashion when an off-duty officer in a Toyota Camry veered into the biker’s path, deliberately collided with him and sent him and his motorcycle soaring into the air.
    Joseph Wilkinson, Mercury News, 29 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • One of the most striking uses of hair came in the form of Galliano’s last Margiela couture show, where models wore merkins underneath the translucent gowns.
    Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 25 Oct. 2025
  • Apple recently launched an iPhone operating-system interface redesign called Liquid Glass that turns its icons translucent, further homogenizing their appearance.
    Kyle Chayka, New Yorker, 22 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Such is life in Marthaland, where homemaking tasks are plucked from the realm of everyday drudgery and elevated to a pure pursuit of excellence.
    Hannah Goldfield, New Yorker, 3 Nov. 2025
  • To this end, while the loss of two aircraft in short order seems suspicious, it could be explained through pure chance.
    Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 3 Nov. 2025
Adjective
  • Charity group Good360 also donated generators that the Jamaican military is taking into mountainous regions still without power.
    Amanda Rosa, Miami Herald, 3 Nov. 2025
  • Set in a remote mountainous village in Taiwan, the series was selected for this year’s Series Mania Institute Serial Bridges Asia program.
    Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 3 Nov. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Sheer.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sheer. Accessed 6 Nov. 2025.

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