shear off

verb

sheared off; sheared off or shorn off; shearing off; shears off
1
: to become separated suddenly because of great force
The excess weight caused the bolt to shear off.
2
: to remove (something) with great force
The impact of the crash sheared off the airplane's wing.

Examples of shear off in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
The top of his head had been sheared off. — Rania Abouzeid, New Yorker, 21 May 2026 The crash sheared off the nose of the Air Canada jet. — Thomas Tracy, New York Daily News, 25 Mar. 2026 The collision appears to have sheared off the plane’s nose cone. — Jackie Flynn Mogensen, Scientific American, 23 Mar. 2026 Instead, the plane hit a light stanchion, sheared off the tops of some trees and burst into flames well short of the runway. — Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 31 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for shear off

Rhymes for shear off

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Browse Nearby Words

shearmouse
shear off
shear pin
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Cite this Entry

“Shear off.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shear%20off. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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