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
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
Lilac standards require little pruning other than snipping spent flower blossoms and clipping back stems in early summer to maintain shape.
—Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 6 Apr. 2026
Heckel crowed with delight as Strong tried paper, snipping her classmate’s fingers with scissors to complete the sweep.
—Emily Adams, Hartford Courant, 16 Mar. 2026
Cut individual stems as needed, snipping above a leaf node to encourage continued growth.
—Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 18 Jan. 2026
The nightingale tossed the worm in the air, snipping it in two with her beak and crushing its gummy, writhing halves against a flat rock.
—Hazlitt, 19 Nov. 2025
In the video, Sweeney goes from dirty blonde, with Oropeza methodically snipping the ends of her chin-length hair, to an icy, bright blonde.
—Kimi Robinson, USA Today, 27 Oct. 2025
White House aides are snipping at Republican colleagues on the Hill that this is on them to sort out.
—Phil Elliott, Time, 8 Oct. 2025
An artist and aspiring beautician From the age of three, Traelynn was painting and snipping her own hair, sparking her love for cosmotology, her mother said.
—Kansas City Star, 14 Aug. 2025
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Sacbee.com, 28 Apr. 2026
Lilac standards require little pruning other than snipping spent flower blossoms and clipping back stems in early summer to maintain shape.
—Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 6 Apr. 2026
Heckel crowed with delight as Strong tried paper, snipping her classmate’s fingers with scissors to complete the sweep.
—Emily Adams, Hartford Courant, 16 Mar. 2026
Cut individual stems as needed, snipping above a leaf node to encourage continued growth.
—Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 18 Jan. 2026
The nightingale tossed the worm in the air, snipping it in two with her beak and crushing its gummy, writhing halves against a flat rock.
—Hazlitt, 19 Nov. 2025
In the video, Sweeney goes from dirty blonde, with Oropeza methodically snipping the ends of her chin-length hair, to an icy, bright blonde.
—Kimi Robinson, USA Today, 27 Oct. 2025
White House aides are snipping at Republican colleagues on the Hill that this is on them to sort out.
—Phil Elliott, Time, 8 Oct. 2025
An artist and aspiring beautician From the age of three, Traelynn was painting and snipping her own hair, sparking her love for cosmotology, her mother said.
—Kansas City Star, 14 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for snipping
Verb
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There have been scores of game-fixing and point-shaving scandals, notably involving the 1950 NCAA champion City College of New York, the 1978–79 Boston College men’s basketball team, and, in the 2000s, Arizona State men’s basketball.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
27 Apr. 2026
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Very often, the home seller and listing agent will ask for a very short timeline, removing the financing contingency (the full loan approval), shaving 10 days from the process with a closing in 21 days.—
Jeff Lazerson,
Oc Register,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The 76ers got small cushions, with the Celtics cutting it to a point three additional times.—
Kyle Hightower,
Chicago Tribune,
3 May 2026
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School systems typically cope with declining enrollment by closing schools and cutting staff, among other options.—
Andrew J. Campa,
Los Angeles Times,
2 May 2026
Verb
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Tried to listen online while the neighbor made enough noise cutting and trimming his yard during the entire game.—
Ticked Off,
The Orlando Sentinel,
29 Apr. 2026
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Steve Anderson was trimming a tree near a power line with his 17-year-old son on Saturday, April 18, when the accident occurred, according to Fox affiliate KOKI.—
Abigail Adams,
PEOPLE,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Vikki Papagno holds up a newspaper clipping from her scrapbook.—
Mary Murphy,
CBS News,
26 Apr. 2026
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Shoppers also claim that the D-ring built into the rim of the bag is a useful feature for clipping keys onto so that they don’t get buried inside.—
Olivia Young,
Travel + Leisure,
25 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Snipping.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/snipping. Accessed 5 May. 2026.
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