1
as in shaving
to make (something) shorter or smaller with the use of a cutting instrument
it took almost a week to shear all the wool off the flock of sheep
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in slicing
to penetrate with a sharp edge (as a knife)
the shark's razor-sharp teeth sheared the swimmer's flesh right down to the bone
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of shearing
Harryson says to avoid shearing the entire plant into a tight mound, cutting into the crown, removing emerging spring shoots, and pruning too early.
—
Madeline Buiano,
Martha Stewart,
16 June 2026
In that 1964 work, Ono sat still on a stage, a pair of scissors beside her, as audience members took turns shearing her clothing.
—
Julie L. Belcove,
Architectural Digest,
12 June 2026
That increases a rising air motion that tends to drop shearing winds over the Atlantic that can disrupt the structure of tropical cyclones.
—
Dinah Voyles Pulver,
USA Today,
25 Mar. 2026
The plants bloom in late spring and early summer and can be encouraged to bloom again by shearing the plants back by two-thirds after the first flowers fade.
—
Lynn McAlpine,
Better Homes & Gardens,
5 Mar. 2026
Plus, shearing the plants will encourage them to rebloom.
—
Michelle Darrisaw,
Southern Living,
1 Mar. 2026
Sophomore Joe Teter enjoyed the honor of shearing Dunckel’s head.
—
Don Norcross,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
30 Nov. 2025
The video shows the Amazon drone shearing the wire line.
—
Annie Palmer,
CNBC,
26 Nov. 2025
The film reunited him with Morrison, who played the head of a sheep-shearing family business in northeastern New Zealand in the 1950s.
—
Wesley Stenzel,
Entertainment Weekly,
7 Nov. 2025
Madeline Buiano,
Martha Stewart,
16 June 2026
In that 1964 work, Ono sat still on a stage, a pair of scissors beside her, as audience members took turns shearing her clothing.
—
Julie L. Belcove,
Architectural Digest,
12 June 2026
That increases a rising air motion that tends to drop shearing winds over the Atlantic that can disrupt the structure of tropical cyclones.
—
Dinah Voyles Pulver,
USA Today,
25 Mar. 2026
The plants bloom in late spring and early summer and can be encouraged to bloom again by shearing the plants back by two-thirds after the first flowers fade.
—
Lynn McAlpine,
Better Homes & Gardens,
5 Mar. 2026
Plus, shearing the plants will encourage them to rebloom.
—
Michelle Darrisaw,
Southern Living,
1 Mar. 2026
Sophomore Joe Teter enjoyed the honor of shearing Dunckel’s head.
—
Don Norcross,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
30 Nov. 2025
The video shows the Amazon drone shearing the wire line.
—
Annie Palmer,
CNBC,
26 Nov. 2025
The film reunited him with Morrison, who played the head of a sheep-shearing family business in northeastern New Zealand in the 1950s.
—
Wesley Stenzel,
Entertainment Weekly,
7 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shearing
Verb
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Right now, Amazon has it on sale for 13% off, shaving $20 off.
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Evert allowed cameras to accompany her to treatments and doctor appointments and document her son shaving off her hair after chemotherapy.
Verb
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Transfer the ribs to a cutting board and rest for 15 minutes before slicing.
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Poppyseed grapefruit cake cooled and removed from its pan, then popped back in for travel—and popped back out for slicing at the event?
Verb
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The lineup already was revving, as Rushing homered in the second inning while Sasaki was still in the game, and both Kyle Tucker and Muncy drove in runs off starter Randy Vasquez in the third, cutting the deficit to two.
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The Rockets essentially dumped Finney-Smith in a cost-cutting move after making some free agent transactions, notably signing guard Marcus Smart, and surrendered three second-rounders to the Hornets to seal the deal.
Verb
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The prosecutor said Tran tried to take his own life by slitting a wrist, cutting his neck and poking a blade into his stomach.
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When Rochelle Luna, 18, arrived at the house hours later, Djerf bound, gagged and raped her before stabbing her and slitting her throat, court records said.
Verb
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Conviction should not prevent an investor from trimming or exiting once the valuation has absorbed the catalyst.
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While some varieties will rebloom without deadheading, trimming fading flowers keeps the flower bed from looking tired.
Verb
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His second goal was even more impressive, ripping through the legs of midfielder Danilo Santos before finding the net.
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The New York Times dropped a 5,000 word story absolutely ripping its former employee.
Verb
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Ninety-five-year-old Warren Buffett is famous for clipping coupons and living in a modest Nebraska house, despite having $146 billion to his name.
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Plant one clipping per vessel in a nutrient-rich soil mixture.
Verb
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Then Ferrari’s team reboots the underlying technology—centralizing server costs, cleaning up sprawling codebases—while slashing costs.
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Higgins said her solution is to speed up permitting by slashing red tape — both for these types of large, city projects and for home and business owners trying to install resilient upgrades.
Cite this Entry
“Shearing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shearing. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.
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