How to Use shear in a Sentence

shear

1 of 2 verb
  • The farmers sheared the sheep.
  • The farmers sheared the wool from the sheep.
  • Don't shear the shrubs, which can cause the center to die out.
    — Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 25 Apr. 2026
  • The best time to shear is in late spring, when new growth is complete.
    — Beth Botts, chicagotribune.com, 6 Feb. 2022
  • Who knew a future British king and queen might need to shear sheep?
    — Maria Puente, USA TODAY, 11 June 2019
  • At some point, the rest of them just shear off, and the result is calamity.
    — Ray Magliozzi, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Mar. 2022
  • It can be sheared into a formal hedge or shaped into a ball.
    — Daniel Scott, Better Homes & Gardens, 10 June 2026
  • The video shows the Amazon drone shearing the wire line.
    — Annie Palmer, CNBC, 26 Nov. 2025
  • But shearing a bush or tree can ruin the look or balance of a tree.
    — Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 12 Dec. 2025
  • The bullet had simply sheared off a piece of muscle and flesh.
    — SI.com, 28 Aug. 2019
  • Slice with a knife or kitchen shears into wedges before serving.
    — Milwaukee, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 14 Feb. 2018
  • The bedding is triple sheared, and as a result, pilling is very minor.
    — Yelena Moroz Alpert, Architectural Digest, 21 Jan. 2026
  • Follow the tree’s natural shape, and don’t shear the tree’s tips.
    — Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 26 Jan. 2026
  • That shear no doubt increased the tendency for these late cells to rotate.
    — Washington Post, 2 July 2021
  • The tiny leaves are easily sheared and sculpted into any shape.
    — Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 5 May 2026
  • The tiny leaves are easily sheared and sculpted into any shape.
    — Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 26 Aug. 2025
  • The Nissan went over a guardrail and went airborne, shearing parts of trees.
    — Dan Morse, Washington Post, 26 Oct. 2017
  • But where kitchen shears truly shine is in the poultry department.
    — Alex Delany, Bon Appetit, 19 Jan. 2018
  • Up next was pineapple, its spikes thoughtfully sheared smooth and cut into spears.
    — Literary Hub, 8 May 2026
  • It can be lightly sheared to maintain a tidy appearance.
    — Daniel Scott, Better Homes & Gardens, 22 Jan. 2026
  • To get a second show of flowers after the peak of summer, shear the plants back for fall blooms.
    — Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 10 Mar. 2026
  • To get a second show of flowers after the peak of summer, shear the plants back for fall blooms.
    — Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 2 May 2026
  • When blooming is over, shear plants by one-third to one-half to encourage new growth all summer.
    — Sunset Magazine, 3 Aug. 2020
  • This low-maintenance shrub grows at a a slow rate and can be sheared in late winter into a tidy wall of green.
    — Sheryl Geerts, Better Homes & Gardens, 25 Apr. 2023
  • Plus, shearing the plants will encourage them to rebloom.
    — Michelle Darrisaw, Southern Living, 1 Mar. 2026
  • Wallace seemed certain to shear off the electoral votes of the Deep South.
    — Patrick J. Buchanan, WSJ, 5 Apr. 2018
  • Lady’s mantle doesn’t like to be sheared back frequently.
    — Marie Iannotti, The Spruce, 9 May 2026
  • The most dangerous thing would be if there is some major collision and pieces of the foam sheared off.
    — The Economist, 6 Sep. 2019
  • The woman’s car continued toward the pole and struck it, shearing the pole in half.
    — cleveland, 13 Mar. 2020
  • Once the block was established, the split jet stream seemed to shear later weather systems apart.
    — Paul Voosen, Science | AAAS, 5 Mar. 2020

shear

2 of 2 noun
  • Use a sharp pair of garden shears.
    — Chris McKeown, Cincinnati Enquirer, 7 Feb. 2026
  • Sparkling new shears for the old apple tree.
    — Chris McKeown, Cincinnati Enquirer, 20 Dec. 2025
  • Just cut the stems back by one-third to half with sharp pruners or shears.
    — Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 17 June 2026
  • Take a pair of shears to the bottom; cut it at the hip.
    — Nathan Heller, Vogue, 14 Oct. 2025
  • Gently pick them or use shears to snip the leaves off the stem.
    — Lauren David, Better Homes & Gardens, 26 Nov. 2025
  • How many shears to shear a Sheeran?
    — Alejandra Gularte, Vulture, 29 Apr. 2026
  • Or use kitchen shears to cut through the shell to access the crab meat.
    — Sheena Chihak, Better Homes & Gardens, 16 Aug. 2022
  • Use kitchen shears to trim sharp tips of artichoke leaves.
    — Martha Stewart, 12 Apr. 2026
  • Trim any circling or tangled roots with clean shears.
    — Sj McShane, Martha Stewart, 16 Jan. 2026
  • Prune and shear in spring before the new growth becomes woody.
    — Daniel Scott, Better Homes & Gardens, 22 Jan. 2026
  • When pruning the tree, use clean pruning shears.
    — Emily Hayes, Martha Stewart, 30 Dec. 2025
  • Wind shear happens closer to the ground.
    — Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 31 Mar. 2026
  • Wind shear is a change in wind speed and/or direction with height.
    — Matthew Cappucci, BostonGlobe.com, 13 Aug. 2020
  • Wind shear is the change of wind speed and strength with height in the atmosphere.
    — Judson Jones, CNN, 31 Aug. 2022
  • Made of stainless steel, the shears have a thick body yet maintain a sharp edge.
    — Tom Price, Popular Mechanics, 14 Aug. 2023
  • Wind shear -- the change with winds speed and direction with height -- needs to be low.
    — Judson Jones, CNN, 4 June 2020
  • Good quality hair shears are key for trimming any hair length and hair type.
    — Akili King, Vogue, 28 Nov. 2023
  • There was a long shear of bright light, then a series of low concussions.
    — Steve Marble, Los Angeles Times, 13 June 2023
  • No one suggested slicing the boots open with kitchen shears.
    — Caity Weaver, The Atlantic, 8 Oct. 2025
  • Wind shear involves the change in wind speeds and wind directions with height.
    — Nick Shay, The Conversation, 18 May 2022
  • Enjoy their warm hues for a little while, but then get your pruning shears ready.
    — Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 6 Oct. 2025
  • Overgrown shrubs or hedges can and should be transformed with a pair of lopping shears.
    — Washington Post, 20 Nov. 2019
  • Stop using kitchen shears in your garden and opt for the right tool for the job instead.
    — Rebecca Jones, Southern Living, 29 Apr. 2026
  • Using clean pruning shears, start at the ends of these branches and cut off any dead growth.
    — Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 9 Apr. 2026
  • Using clean pruning shears, start at the ends of these branches and cut off any dead growth.
    — Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 17 Dec. 2025
  • Snip them off with clean kitchen shears to use in salads, stir-fries, and other dishes.
    — Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 13 Nov. 2025
  • Inspect the roots and trim any that are dark, mushy, or damaged with clean scissors or shears.
    — Rae Ford, Martha Stewart, 11 Feb. 2026
  • Sharp pruning shears are much easier to work with and make cleaner cuts.
    — Andy Wilcox, Better Homes & Gardens, 9 Jan. 2026
  • Make sure to use sharp shears or scissors to cut the pepper off the plant and never pull it off the plant.
    — Nadia Hassani, The Spruce, 24 June 2026
  • Since this lasagna is 5 layers, use a knife or kitchen shears to cut 3 of the noodles in half.
    — Sam Burros, Peoplemag, 10 Oct. 2023

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'shear.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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