sheer 1 of 2

1
2
3

sheer

2 of 2

verb

1
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

2

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
Take your pick of six creamy shades ranging from rich brown to super sheer—all will give your lips a high gloss shine. Conçetta Ciarlo, Vogue, 27 Apr. 2025 Horsetail Falls Further up the gorge, Horsetail Falls spills 176 feet down a sheer rock face. Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 27 Apr. 2025
Verb
Decades of despair to sheer delight for Commanders fans: The Washington Commanders will be playing in the NFC championship game next Sunday, one game away from the Super Bowl. Jim Reineking, USA TODAY, 20 Jan. 2025 John Fabiano was documenting the working dogs of the country and visited a wool farm during sheering season. Cecilia Rodriguez, Forbes, 4 Nov. 2024 See All Example Sentences for sheer
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sheer
Adjective
  • To paraphrase Bochner, the thesaurus is not transparent.
    Jeffrey Weiss, Artforum, 1 May 2025
  • One downside of selling physical gold is traditionally high trading costs — and those costs are typically not transparent, Kristof said.
    Jessica Dickler,Greg Iacurci, CNBC, 30 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Talk about the low of the low, what utter scumbags.
    Davey Winder, Forbes.com, 19 Apr. 2025
  • But sometimes, such as in crosswalks during peak commuting times, that order turns to utter chaos.
    Gayoung Lee, Scientific American, 17 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • In some older buildings, condo owners are being asked to pay steep special assessments that threaten to force some people out of their homes.
    Greg Allen, NPR, 3 May 2025
  • The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Institutes of Health would all face steep reductions.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 3 May 2025
Verb
  • Related Articles While not completely deviating from his wartime attire, Zelensky partially adhered to the Vatican’s dress code for the somber occasion.
    Rosemary Feitelberg, Footwear News, 27 Apr. 2025
  • That exemplified her approach, even if her first cookbook sometimes deviated from that mission.
    Danielle Dorsey, Los Angeles Times, 24 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Authorities believe Souza was traveling on the highway when the truck veered and landed in the river, Fox2 reported.
    Julia Gomez, USA Today, 27 Apr. 2025
  • Several looks veered away from tradition and were not a typical bridal white.
    Kati Chitrakorn, CNN Money, 25 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • If shimmer’s not your vibe, opt for the translucent Clear Glass shade, or for a tad of twinkle, reach for the rosy-gold Glassy Pink Opal.
    Annie Blackman, Allure, 30 Apr. 2025
  • The face sunscreen can be used under makeup as a face primer, over makeup as a finishing step, or on its own for a translucent matte finish.
    Nora Colomer may earn a commission if you buy through our referral links. This content was created by a team that works independently from the Fox newsroom., FOXNews.com, 30 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • The spacesuits used for spacewalks are filled with oxygen and the astronauts breathe in pure oxygen for several hours to get rid of nitrogen in their bodies.
    Mary Kekatos, ABC News, 30 Apr. 2025
  • The pink boxes were cheaper than pure white because they were made from leftover cardboard stock.
    Bedatri D. Choudhury, Bon Appetit Magazine, 30 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • The two nuclear-armed rivals have fought three wars over the mountainous territory that is divided by a de-facto border called the Line of Control.
    Tom Rogers, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Apr. 2025
  • So Cordero set out to make a video game about it from the perspective of a child in Quito, Ecuador’s mountainous capital.
    Lewis Gordon, New York Times, 30 Apr. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Sheer.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sheer. Accessed 8 May. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on sheer

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!