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
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Recent Examples of shear
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
Scientists predict that Triton might one day wander too close and end up becoming gravitationally sheared into fragments.
—Shi En Kim, Smithsonian Magazine, 5 Nov. 2024
Just in the last month, Nicola Peltz-Beckham (sporting a chop reminiscent of her mother-in-law's iconic Posh Spice chop), Selena Gomez, and Beyoncé have sheared up and joined the short hair club.
—Konstanze Popp, Vogue, 29 Oct. 2024
See All Example Sentences for shear
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
Scientists predict that Triton might one day wander too close and end up becoming gravitationally sheared into fragments.
—Shi En Kim, Smithsonian Magazine, 5 Nov. 2024
Just in the last month, Nicola Peltz-Beckham (sporting a chop reminiscent of her mother-in-law's iconic Posh Spice chop), Selena Gomez, and Beyoncé have sheared up and joined the short hair club.
—Konstanze Popp, Vogue, 29 Oct. 2024
See All Example Sentences for shear
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shear
Verb
-
Her hair, which was shaved down to a buzz cut for her surgery, appeared to be much darker than her usual blonde.—
Angel Saunders,
People.com,
1 Mar. 2025
-
Newcomers like closer Devin Williams, who has already shaved off his signature beard from his days with the Milwaukee Brewers, are among those who could start letting their facial hair grow out again.—
Scott Thompson,
Fox News,
28 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
Ford was accused of shooting Gregory in the head before attacking him and slitting his throat.—
Josh Hammer,
Newsweek,
14 Feb. 2025
-
Police believe Ford first attacked Gregory, shooting him in the back of the head, bludgeoning him and slitting his throat.—
Fernando Cervantes Jr.,
USA TODAY,
14 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
People will chew on the Broadway first of an Othello directed and lead-produced by black men—Leon and Brian Anthony Moreland, respectively—and cut their assumptions about that to fit their pre-existing views.—
Maya Singer,
Vogue,
27 Feb. 2025
-
Second half Utah cut the deficit to one after outscoring Sacramento 13-5 to start the second half, but the Kings responded with an 11-1 run to push the lead back to double digits.—
Jason Anderson,
Sacramento Bee,
27 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
Stir shredded chicken and thinly sliced carrots and celery to reserved broth; bring to a simmer over medium.—
Kimberly Holland,
Southern Living,
25 Feb. 2025
-
Giannis Antetokounmpo is an unstoppable force, a one-man wrecking crew capable of slicing through defenders with a combination of length, strength, and skill that might be unmatched in NBA history.—
Brian Sampson,
Forbes,
24 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
Also different in 2025, five broad categories were trimmed to three.—
David Spiegel,
CNBC,
24 Feb. 2025
-
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
-
Cristian Arango ripped a shot past John Pulskamp for the first goal, after Sporting’s midfield was momentarily carved apart.—
Daniel Sperry,
Kansas City Star,
2 Mar. 2025
-
The 37-year-old was back in his bag, ripping and blunting the cut with his signature flow and raps about getting money, maintaining, and of course, smoking the top-shelf Mary Jane.—
Marc Griffin,
VIBE.com,
28 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
Just clip them in, style them as needed, and voilà—instant cool-girl bangs with zero regrets.—
Allure,
Allure,
24 Feb. 2025
-
When a truck carrying Mr. Nasrallah’s coffin entered the stadium, the crowd erupted in shrieks and cries as the voice of the former Hezbollah leader — clipped from his speeches — echoed from speakers.—
Christina Goldbaum,
New York Times,
23 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
The most expensive contract that DOGE claims to have slashed is $8 billion to D&G Support Services LLC to provide services for the Office of Diversity and Civil Rights within U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, starting in late 2022.—
Andre Tartar Bloomberg News (TNS),
arkansasonline.com,
20 Feb. 2025
-
Meanwhile, Democrats, lacking the votes to block Trump's plans, are warning of severe consequences, particularly as the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) slashes federal agencies, leading to mass layoffs and the dismantling of government programs.—
Dan Perry,
Newsweek,
20 Feb. 2025
Articles Related to shear
Cite this Entry
“Shear.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shear. Accessed 5 Mar. 2025.
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