as in to shave
to make (something) shorter or smaller with the use of a cutting instrument
pruned the dead branches from the old apple tree
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Recent Examples of prune
The answer, more likely than not, is that the tree in question was improperly pruned.
—
Joshua Siskin, Orange County Register, 20 Jan. 2025
Also, when pruned, sterilize the pruning equipment between palms to prevent the spread of diseases.
—Tom MacCubbin, Orlando Sentinel, 8 Feb. 2025
Planting new fruit and pecan trees without pruning them back by half.
—Neil Sperry, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 Jan. 2025
Advice on when to prune different types of trees and shrubs, what pruners should be used and how to make the right cut will be offered.
—Michelle Mullins, Chicago Tribune, 21 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for prune
Joshua Siskin, Orange County Register, 20 Jan. 2025
Also, when pruned, sterilize the pruning equipment between palms to prevent the spread of diseases.
—Tom MacCubbin, Orlando Sentinel, 8 Feb. 2025
Planting new fruit and pecan trees without pruning them back by half.
—Neil Sperry, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 Jan. 2025
Advice on when to prune different types of trees and shrubs, what pruners should be used and how to make the right cut will be offered.
—Michelle Mullins, Chicago Tribune, 21 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for prune
Recent Examples of Synonyms for prune
Verb
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In this case, a clever player can easily shave off about half of Nikador's health pool, potentially a lot more.—
Josh Hammer,
Newsweek,
17 Feb. 2025
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Did football culture, which at one time shaved penises into a rookie player’s head as a hazing ritual, need to change?—
Omar Kelly,
Miami Herald,
17 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Today, Meaghan Garvey offers an ontological bonus cut from her time in Sweden with King Nothingg.—
Meaghan Garvey,
Pitchfork,
27 Feb. 2025
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Another option for cutting expenses would be to shift more Medicaid costs to the states, which would also be a de facto cut in services, since states, even California, likely couldn’t afford to keep the plan as-is without that federal money.—
Anita Chabria,
Los Angeles Times,
27 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Also different in 2025, five broad categories were trimmed to three.—
David Spiegel,
CNBC,
24 Feb. 2025
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Indeed, superhero cinema seems to be trimming a lot of the fat that’s contributed to the genre’s loss of gloss from its heady days of late-2010s.—
Mark Hughes,
Forbes,
24 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Workers will now mow less frequently and have less regular maintenance of Yuba City’s downtown district.—
Jake Goodrick,
Sacramento Bee,
20 Feb. 2025
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Then, prune overgrown trees and shrubs, trim tall grasses and weedy areas, mow regularly to keep your lawn cut close, and consider calling a chimney sweep to clean out your chimney.—
Lauren Landers,
Better Homes & Gardens,
15 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Prune.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prune. Accessed 3 Mar. 2025.
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