shear

verb

ˈshir How to pronounce shear (audio)
Definition of shearnext
1
as in to shave
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 to slit
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

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.
Recent Examples of shear Photographs from The Courier Journal's archives show the aftermath of the bridge shearing the tops from large vehicles as early as 1978. — Marina Johnson, The Courier-Journal, 27 Dec. 2024 Like that one that underestimated a low Bronx highway overpass at full speed, shearing its top off, killing 15 passengers, decapitating at least one. — Jonathan Rowe, SPIN, 18 Dec. 2024 They are commonly sheared into Christmas trees, candy canes or other holiday shapes. — Janet B. Carson, arkansasonline.com, 9 Dec. 2024 With their large leaves, hollies look best when they are pruned rather than sheared. — Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 11 Dec. 2024 See All Example Sentences for shear
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shear
  1. shave
  2. slit
  3. cut
  4. slice
  5. trim
  6. rip
  7. clip
  8. slash
Verb
  • If needed, lightly holding your skin taut should be enough to shave the area without excessively stretching or pulling at it.
    — Cristina Mutchler, Verywell Health, 14 Mar. 2025
  • One hirsute San Francisco regular, Richard, kept changing his hair and shaving his face over the course of the shoot.
    — Anne Thompson, IndieWire, 14 Mar. 2025
Definition of shave
Verb
  • Prosecutors presented evidence at Ford's 1999 trial showing Greg had staggered to the middle of the field after being shot; there, Ford slit his throat, almost ear-to-ear, exposing his underlying muscle tissue.
    — Samira Asma-Sadeque, People.com, 13 Feb. 2025
  • Before Albrecht can even finish giving Lasher-care instructions, Ian goes full Lady Macbeth and slits Albrecht’s throat right there in the stairwell.
    — Kathleen Walsh, Vulture, 2 Feb. 2025
Definition of slit
Verb
  • Within the scheme’s first week, traffic had fallen by 7.5%, with 273,000 fewer cars entering Manhattan’s central business district, and travel times on inbound river crossings had been cut by more than a third, leading to faster bus journeys.
    — Laurie Winkless, Forbes, 12 Mar. 2025
  • But dramatically cutting calories isn’t practical for most people.
    — Alice Park, TIME, 11 Mar. 2025
Definition of cut
Verb
  • The basic accessory comes with a processor blade and two multiuse shredding and slicing discs.
    — Adam Campbell-Schmitt, Bon Appétit, 20 Mar. 2025
  • Speaking at Nvidia’s GTC conference, Huang said questions clients have about the cost and return on investment of the company’s graphics processors, or GPUs, will go away with faster chips that can be digitally sliced and used to serve artificial intelligence to millions of people at the same time.
    — Kif Leswing, CNBC, 19 Mar. 2025
Definition of slice
Verb
  • Yet, certain aspects could have been trimmed for more condensed viewing, including a flashback to Cordelia’s birding vacation.
    — Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 20 Mar. 2025
  • Combining layoffs and other types of departures, the Trump administration has trimmed the department's workforce from 4,133 to 2,183 since the start of his second term.
    — Joey Garrison, USA TODAY, 20 Mar. 2025
Definition of trim
Verb
  • There’s a letter carrier called Penny Pal (Jenny Slate) that can rip people’s hearts out.
    — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 14 Mar. 2025
  • The Tampa Bay Rays were all set to break ground on a new stadium in St. Petersburg, Florida, when Hurricane Milton ripped the roof off Tropicana Field last October, rendering the venue unplayable.
    — Raja Krishnamoorthi, Newsweek, 13 Mar. 2025
Definition of rip
Verb
  • The danger was obvious at Villa Park, but Justin did a better job of heading the danger away against Wolverhampton Wanderers at King Power Stadium just before Christmas… … until Wolves gathered up the second ball and Nelson Semedo clipped another high ball back into the box.
    — Rob Tanner, The Athletic, 14 Mar. 2025
  • Also new for the season are leather goods, which range from sunglass carriers to pencil cases, all with the same D-shaped ring that allows them to be clipped onto a lanyard — for the sake of practicality as much as safety on the go.
    — Lily Templeton, WWD, 12 Mar. 2025
Definition of clip
Verb
  • Last season, the veteran slashed .251/.335/.468 with 26 home runs and 26 doubles.
    — Mark Davis, Newsweek, 17 Mar. 2025
  • The cutscene slashes through the past and present of the Hive God pantheon, which has a dead Oryx quasi-returned and now interested in us, his killers.
    — Paul Tassi, Forbes, 16 Mar. 2025
Definition of slash

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“Shear.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shear. Accessed 26 Mar. 2025.

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More from Merriam-Webster on shear

Nglish: Translation of shear for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about shear

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