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
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Recent Examples of shear
Commonly sheared to create a formal hedge or neatly clipped into a topiary, Japanese holly is a unique, fast-growing holly.
—
Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 19 Feb. 2025
Avoid shearing the plants back to the same size each year.
—Tom MacCubbin, Orlando Sentinel, 1 Mar. 2025
Dramatic new video shows the jet’s rear landing gear buckling and the right wing shearing away in a fireball after making a hard landing.
—Alexandra Banner, CNN, 19 Feb. 2025
Rescue workers sheared his clothes off him with scissors, put a brace around his neck and laid him on a board.
—Katherine Rosman, New York Times, 24 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shear
Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 19 Feb. 2025
Avoid shearing the plants back to the same size each year.
—Tom MacCubbin, Orlando Sentinel, 1 Mar. 2025
Dramatic new video shows the jet’s rear landing gear buckling and the right wing shearing away in a fireball after making a hard landing.
—Alexandra Banner, CNN, 19 Feb. 2025
Rescue workers sheared his clothes off him with scissors, put a brace around his neck and laid him on a board.
—Katherine Rosman, New York Times, 24 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shear
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shear
Verb
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For comparison, the release estimates that the 2018-19 Trump trade war with China shaved 0.2% off GDP and killed 142,000 jobs.—
Katharina Buchholz,
Forbes.com,
4 Apr. 2025
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Elon Musk, meanwhile, lost $11 billion on Thursday, adding to the $99 billion the Tesla CEO has lost this year, and saw 5.5 percent shaved off Tesla’s shares.—
Nicole Hoey,
Robb Report,
4 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Then, fearing he'd be blamed, Tripp stole a knife from the office of pastry chef Didier Gotthard (Bronson Pinchot) and used it to slit A.B.'s wrists in order to make his death look more like a suicide.—
Megan McCluskey,
TIME,
21 Mar. 2025
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Heat is then directed upward and outward via outlet slits on the card edges to reduce the recirculation of heated air.—
John Burek,
PCMAG,
20 Jan. 2025
Verb
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The mom of one most notably cut her hair in January 2023, debuting a head-turning, blunt bob.—
Dayna Haffenden,
People.com,
5 Apr. 2025
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Nissan reversed an earlier decision to cut production at a Tennesee plant to one shift from two.—
Medora Lee,
USA Today,
4 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Baby Zucchini This mild-tasting veggie is great raw, roasted, or even sliced into sticks for dipping, says Syn.—
Sherri Gordon, CLC,
Parents,
2 Apr. 2025
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To slice onions evenly, use a food processor or mandoline.—
Nicole Sours Larson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
31 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Wiley’s running the numbers on possible price increases for essential construction materials and said tariffs could push up prices for forest products — including lumber, plywood, cabinets, wood doors and trim — by 10% to 15%.—
Brian J. Rogal,
Chicago Tribune,
1 Apr. 2025
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Paint the baseboards, crown molding, or trim around doors and windows.—
Claire Hoppe Norgaard,
Better Homes & Gardens,
1 Apr. 2025
Verb
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But Paredes singled on a first-pitch fastball from Jax, and Alvarez ripped the reliever’s pitch for a no-doubt, two-run homer.—
Dan Hayes,
New York Times,
7 Apr. 2025
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The son rips havoc through his life, family and community.—
Avivah Wittenberg-Cox,
Forbes.com,
5 Apr. 2025
Verb
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The 27-year-old’s next offering was even more up and in, the baseball colliding with India’s helmet, clipping his ear flap and grazing his face.—
Jaylon Thompson,
Kansas City Star,
31 Mar. 2025
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Everybody was able to move out, but two older women were really almost clipped.—
Patrick Smith,
NBC news,
24 Mar. 2025
Verb
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The vacuum, which is typically priced at $450, has been slashed to just $300 at Amazon.—
Amy Schulman,
People.com,
28 Mar. 2025
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Big studios have slashed budgets, making life for production crews more financially precarious.—
Steven Kurutz,
New York Times,
28 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Shear.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shear. Accessed 14 Apr. 2025.
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