pruned 1 of 2

pruned

2 of 2

verb

past tense of prune
as in shaved
to make (something) shorter or smaller with the use of a cutting instrument pruned the dead branches from the old apple tree

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Examples 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 pruned
Verb
Several botanic gardens, such as South Coast Botanic Gardens in Rolling Hills Estates and the Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens in San Marino, have tulip and bulb gardens — the Huntington plants them in its famous rose garden to create filler color after the roses are pruned. Jeanette Marantos, Los Angeles Times, 2 Jan. 2025 Prune As Needed Some vegetables won’t need to be pruned at all in indoor setups. Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 18 Dec. 2024 However, if they are not pruned or cut back, at some point, the branches will begin to become a mess of last year's wood and this year's wood. Heather Bien, Southern Living, 15 Dec. 2024 Gardenias are evergreen and should not be pruned in winter. Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 14 Dec. 2024 Crape myrtles don't need to be pruned every year. Leanne Potts, Better Homes & Gardens, 11 Dec. 2024 With their large leaves, hollies look best when they are pruned rather than sheared. Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 11 Dec. 2024 Because the buds are not present during the winter months, these plants can be pruned in late winter or early spring, before new growth begins. Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 8 Dec. 2024 Here are 10 popular types of garden plants that are best pruned in wintertime. Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 5 Dec. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pruned
Verb
  • The stairs are lined with a cognac-colored carpet, trimmed in nautical rope.
    Annabelle Dufraigne, Architectural Digest, 31 Dec. 2024
  • But over time, the big airlines trimmed service at smaller airports.
    Niraj Chokshi, New York Times, 25 Dec. 2024
Verb
  • Despite barely being old enough to attend kindergarten, Cole was already cutting his teeth with a game that some have deemed to be the hardest of all time.
    Patricia Hernandez, Rolling Stone, 10 Jan. 2025
  • Averaging 20 points per game in December was not cutting it.
    Jon Krawczynski, The Athletic, 10 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • The net simply gets clipped onto the detector as needed.
    Ben Coxworth, New Atlas, 30 Dec. 2024
  • The car moved across multiple lanes, clipped another vehicle, struck the outer retention wall then careened back across all lanes of traffic.
    Hope Karnopp, Journal Sentinel, 15 Dec. 2024

Thesaurus Entries Near pruned

Cite this Entry

“Pruned.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pruned. Accessed 22 Jan. 2025.

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