as in shaving
to make (something) shorter or smaller with the use of a cutting instrument
snipped the loose ends
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Recent Examples of snipping
Cut off the flower head by snipping the stem just above the first set of large leaves, McEnaney says.
—
Leanne Potts, Better Homes & Gardens, 3 June 2026
So don't be shy about snipping off leaves for your projects.
—Melissa Epifano, The Spruce, 15 May 2026
Police are searching for a straphanger suspected of unbolting a door switch from a inside a downtown C train Monday evening, snipping the wires and then absconding with the train part, sources tell the Daily News.
—Evan Simko-Bednarski, New York Daily News, 14 May 2026
Nguyen’s striking direction in the scenes in which Kristen faces her future in the hospital elevates the maudlin material, especially after Kristen makes the choice to lose a leg in the hopes of snipping the cancer in the bud.
—Marya E. Gates, IndieWire, 13 May 2026
Its DuoScrub rotary mops apply downward pressure to erase stains, while a specialized hair-snipping brush eliminates manual detangling.
—Juhi Wadia, PC Magazine, 6 May 2026
One enzyme acts as a random chopper, snipping the long polymer chains into smaller pieces, while the other slowly chews these pieces into their monomer building units from each end.
—Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 3 May 2026
This is easily accomplished by snipping the smaller ones (when a few inches tall) beneath the soil line instead of uprooting them, which could disturb the roots of the single seedling in each cluster.
—Joshua Siskin, Oc Register, 1 May 2026
Brushing past a pot of rosemary on the way to the grill, or snipping mint for a drink, makes the garden feel personal in a way that purely ornamental plantings cannot.
—Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Sacbee.com, 28 Apr. 2026
Leanne Potts, Better Homes & Gardens, 3 June 2026
So don't be shy about snipping off leaves for your projects.
—Melissa Epifano, The Spruce, 15 May 2026
Police are searching for a straphanger suspected of unbolting a door switch from a inside a downtown C train Monday evening, snipping the wires and then absconding with the train part, sources tell the Daily News.
—Evan Simko-Bednarski, New York Daily News, 14 May 2026
Nguyen’s striking direction in the scenes in which Kristen faces her future in the hospital elevates the maudlin material, especially after Kristen makes the choice to lose a leg in the hopes of snipping the cancer in the bud.
—Marya E. Gates, IndieWire, 13 May 2026
Its DuoScrub rotary mops apply downward pressure to erase stains, while a specialized hair-snipping brush eliminates manual detangling.
—Juhi Wadia, PC Magazine, 6 May 2026
One enzyme acts as a random chopper, snipping the long polymer chains into smaller pieces, while the other slowly chews these pieces into their monomer building units from each end.
—Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 3 May 2026
This is easily accomplished by snipping the smaller ones (when a few inches tall) beneath the soil line instead of uprooting them, which could disturb the roots of the single seedling in each cluster.
—Joshua Siskin, Oc Register, 1 May 2026
Brushing past a pot of rosemary on the way to the grill, or snipping mint for a drink, makes the garden feel personal in a way that purely ornamental plantings cannot.
—Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Sacbee.com, 28 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for snipping
Verb
-
The researchers estimated that those who got neither bright days nor dark nights were shaving five years off their lives.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
17 June 2026
-
The criticism died down only after shaving off nanoseconds became widespread, making the strategy less profitable.—
Gary Sernovitz,
New Yorker,
15 June 2026
Verb
-
The interim agreement to end the Iran war has already reopened the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran effectively closed, cutting the global economy off from significant supplies of oil and natural gas.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
20 June 2026
-
But after the cost-cutting trade of Jonathan Greenard to Philadelphia, the depth chart for the edge rusher spots is thin.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
19 June 2026
Verb
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Crews are focusing on the 15 feet along the roadsides, trimming trees that are still alive to help prevent fire from laddering into the crowns and removing dead trees.—
Alan Gionet,
CBS News,
21 June 2026
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While some varieties will rebloom without deadheading, trimming fading flowers keeps the flower bed from looking tired.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
17 June 2026
Verb
-
The plane crashed on the road, clipping a car and breaking apart.—
Alexandra Skores,
CNN Money,
17 June 2026
-
Allbirds is clipping its wings — again.—
Lily Wright,
Los Angeles Times,
17 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Snipping.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/snipping. Accessed 22 Jun. 2026.
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