How to Use shoulder in a Sentence

shoulder

1 of 2 noun
  • The horse is five feet high at the shoulder.
  • He grabbed my shoulder and turned me around.
  • He rested the baby's head on his shoulder.
  • We had pork shoulder for dinner.
  • She carried a backpack on one shoulder.
  • Shrug your shoulders and be on your way.
    — Chantz Martin, FOXNews.com, 3 Oct. 2025
  • Shrug your shoulders and be on your way.
    — Tom Ignudo, CBS News, 1 June 2026
  • Joshua poked me in the shoulder.
    — Chang-Rae Lee, New Yorker, 3 May 2026
  • Joyce gives her shoulder a squeeze.
    — Lizz Schumer, PEOPLE, 26 Sep. 2025
  • The weight of the world is not on his shoulder.
    — Justice Delos Santos, Mercury News, 22 Mar. 2026
  • The boy’s shoulders rose and fell.
    — George Packer, The Atlantic, 6 Nov. 2025
  • Roll your shoulders back and stand tall.
    — Leoni Jesner, Health, 1 Nov. 2025
  • Don’t let the past be a chip on your shoulder.
    — Stephanie Nolasco, FOXNews.com, 8 June 2026
  • Roll your shoulders back and away from your ears.
    — Cory Martin, Verywell Health, 30 Oct. 2025
  • Joyce puts her hand on her friend’s shoulder.
    — Lizz Schumer, PEOPLE, 26 Sep. 2025
  • The left shoulder and two left lanes were blocked.
    — Tim Jacobi, CBS News, 15 Mar. 2026
  • But that doesn’t fall on his shoulders this year.
    — Shayna Goldman, New York Times, 28 Feb. 2026
  • Stand tall, shoulders rolled and feet hip-width apart.
    — Leoni Jesner, Health, 1 Nov. 2025
  • The warm stream swept around our shoulders and over our backs.
    — David Hanson, Southern Living, 13 Sep. 2025
  • She is dressed in a white chemise that falls off one shoulder.
    — Washington Post, 24 May 2023
  • The man rears up and places his hands on your dad’s shoulders.
    — Matthew Shen Goodman, Harpers Magazine, 19 Sep. 2025
  • Who knows how much that shoulder has been a part of that process.
    — Chris Kirschner, New York Times, 13 Sep. 2025
  • There will be a lot of chips on shoulders and points to prove.
    — Evan Massey, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Sep. 2025
  • The Equinox came to rest on the shoulder.
    — Judith Kohler, Denver Post, 18 May 2026
  • A lot of that has come on the shoulders of Kawai.
    — Janis Carr, Oc Register, 14 Feb. 2026
  • There’s just a lot on King’s shoulders.
    — Grace Raynor, New York Times, 10 Oct. 2025
  • At Moe’s, pork shoulder is the star of the show.
    — Tanasia Kenney, Charlotte Observer, 11 May 2026
  • Lose the chip on your shoulder to make for a better trip.
    — Chicago Tribune, 8 June 2026
  • My elbow hit him right there above the shoulder.
    — Dan Woike, New York Times, 27 Apr. 2026
  • He's got a big fat bullet wound in his shoulder.
    — Jordan Hoffman, Entertainment Weekly, 23 Feb. 2026

shoulder

2 of 2 verb
  • He shouldered the door open.
  • She shouldered through the crowd.
  • He shouldered the blame for the project's failure.
  • She shouldered her way through the crowd.
  • The company will shoulder the costs of the repairs.
  • The soldiers shouldered their rifles and marched away.
  • She shouldered the full burden of raising three children.
  • There wasn’t even time to shoulder the gun.
    — Marguerite Reiss, Outdoor Life, 9 Oct. 2025
  • Lift your arms in front of you to shoulder height.
    — Mallory Creveling, Health, 17 Sep. 2025
  • Lift your arms in front of you to shoulder height.
    — Mallory Creveling, Health, 15 May 2026
  • Cali sighed, too, then shouldered her bag.
    — Bryan Washington, New Yorker, 7 Sep. 2025
  • That’s a lot to land on a man who just had shoulder surgery.
    — Alysia Reiner, Flow Space, 18 June 2026
  • Bradley no longer has to shoulder so much of the scoring load.
    — Bryce Millercolumnist, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 Nov. 2022
  • Move the pulley to shoulder height.
    — Matt Parrott, Arkansas Online, 21 June 2026
  • Shoulder to shoulder with the greats.
    — Mekishana Pierre, Entertainment Weekly, 15 Dec. 2025
  • Shoulder to shoulder with the greats.
    — Kimi Robinson, USA Today, 16 Dec. 2025
  • Shoulder to shoulder with the greats.
    — Mekishana Pierre, Entertainment Weekly, 2 Jan. 2026
  • Lift the dumbbells to shoulder height.
    — Danielle Zickl, Health, 16 Dec. 2025
  • Grip the band at each end with an overhand grip and raise your arms to shoulder height.
    — Leoni Jesner, Health, 1 Nov. 2025
  • First-time actor Barabás has a lot to shoulder here.
    — Guy Lodge, Variety, 28 Aug. 2025
  • Even as Redd shoulders the weight of her past, this new chapter is filled with joy.
    — Essence, 6 Oct. 2025
  • Keeping your elbows straight, raise your arms to shoulder height, out to the sides.
    — Jenessa Connor, Health, 11 Jan. 2026
  • Keeping your spine straight and core engaged, lift your hands to shoulder height with straight arms.
    — Jenessa Connor, Health, 11 Mar. 2026
  • Keeping your spine straight and core engaged, lift your hands to shoulder height with straight arms.
    — Jenessa Connor, Health, 11 May 2026
  • With no time to shoulder his rifle, Junior shot from the hip.
    — Scott Haugen, Outdoor Life, 4 Feb. 2026
  • No one needs to hold power, and no one needs to shoulder all the sacrifice.
    — Jelena Kecmanovic, CNN Money, 7 Feb. 2026
  • Who will shoulder the cost for the refunds on the books and art prints is, for now, still a mystery.
    — Chris Willman, Variety, 27 Nov. 2022
  • So many of the team seniors came together to shoulder the weight.
    — Jenny Wagnon Courts, ABC News, 3 Jan. 2024
  • People are nervous about the price tag and who should shoulder the burden.
    — Helen Li, Los Angeles Times, 15 Sep. 2023
  • Mascherano shouldered the blame for the loss.
    — The Athletic Staff, New York Times, 1 Oct. 2025

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'shoulder.' 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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