as in cutting
to make (something) shorter or smaller with the use of a cutting instrument
pared the stray branches on the tree
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of paring
Clara McMahon, PEOPLE, 28 Nov. 2025
Using sharp paring knife, cut four 1 1/2-inch long slits in top of dough (think of a clock for slit placement at 12,3,6,9 positions).
—Cathy Thomas, Oc Register, 13 Oct. 2025
Danielle Chemtob, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026
The company’s stock rose as much as 5% in Hong Kong before paring some gains to close at the strongest level since mid-December.
—Bloomberg News, Bloomberg, 28 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for paring
Noun
This 13-piece knife set has six handy blades, including a large chef’s knife for chopping and a paring blade for smaller slices.
—Clara McMahon, PEOPLE, 28 Nov. 2025
Using sharp paring knife, cut four 1 1/2-inch long slits in top of dough (think of a clock for slit placement at 12,3,6,9 positions).
—Cathy Thomas, Oc Register, 13 Oct. 2025
Verb
The benchmark index briefly rose to 7,001 after trading began Wednesday, before paring back its gains to end the day mostly flat.
—Danielle Chemtob, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026
The company’s stock rose as much as 5% in Hong Kong before paring some gains to close at the strongest level since mid-December.
—Bloomberg News, Bloomberg, 28 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for paring
Recent Examples of Synonyms for paring
Noun
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Services include shaving, hair care and facial treatments, ranging from express face massages and 30-minute beard trimming priced at 30 euros and 50 euros, respectively, to two-hour long beauty sessions for 230 euros.—
Sandra Salibian,
Footwear News,
10 Feb. 2026
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Even point shaving can increase viewership.—
Emil Steiner,
Forbes.com,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
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With equal panache, and without cutting away, the narrative focus is handed like a baton in a relay race to the arriving Mayor Dumont (Josse De Pauw) and his daughter and press attaché Marie (Violet Braeckman).—
Siddhant Adlakha,
Variety,
14 Feb. 2026
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The Legislature should focus on lowering costs by delivering permanent property tax relief, restraining state and local spending, cutting red tape that drives up housing and energy costs, and expanding reliable energy production to keep utilities affordable.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
14 Feb. 2026
Noun
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And then there is the guilty past alluded to in those clippings, the memory of which frequently strikes her down with debilitating pain and nausea.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
3 Oct. 2025
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Officers who went to Sellers’s house found a collection of newspaper clippings from the time frame in which Lee was found dead.—
Olivia B. Waxman,
Time,
19 Sep. 2025
Verb
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And that unease is worth keeping in mind for business leaders considering trimming the payroll.—
Claire Zillman,
Fortune,
10 Feb. 2026
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Shut the water while trimming the unwanted hair.—
Ashley Miznazi,
Miami Herald,
10 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Jeff Clanagan painted a picture of a landscape in which movie stardom is no longer protected by traditional channels, as attention splinters across platforms and audiences fragment.—
Josh Rottenberg,
Twin Cities,
31 Dec. 2025
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The paper also prevents wear and tear on the wood surface and keeps small splinters from snagging delicate clothing.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
25 Dec. 2025
Noun
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By the way, for context, the adjustments amount to a sliver (tenths of a percentage point) of overall employment.—
Alicia Wallace,
CNN Money,
11 Feb. 2026
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In one episode, the fight is over a small sliver of grass between two houses.—
Daniel Fienberg,
HollywoodReporter,
11 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Paring.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/paring. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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