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
Relevance
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
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 shear
The speed at which an object orbits a planet depends on its distance from that world, and Saturn’s ring was so wide that the inner edge would orbit much more rapidly than its outer edge, which would shear anything solid apart.
—
Phil Plait, Scientific American, 17 July 2025
Plants that benefit from shearing a couple of times during the growing season are thread-leaf coreopsis, common petunias, catmint, and salvia.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 16 July 2025
An azalea hedge is where a gardener’s preferred style comes into play: should it be sheared or unsheared?
—Luke Miller, Better Homes & Gardens, 7 July 2025
The white shark sheared the striped bass in half, and then quickly took off.
—Rick Sobey, Boston Herald, 3 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for shear
Phil Plait, Scientific American, 17 July 2025
Plants that benefit from shearing a couple of times during the growing season are thread-leaf coreopsis, common petunias, catmint, and salvia.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 16 July 2025
An azalea hedge is where a gardener’s preferred style comes into play: should it be sheared or unsheared?
—Luke Miller, Better Homes & Gardens, 7 July 2025
The white shark sheared the striped bass in half, and then quickly took off.
—Rick Sobey, Boston Herald, 3 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for shear
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shear
Verb
-
July 22 could end up being the shortest of 2025, with Earth's rotation shaving off about 1.34 milliseconds from the usual 86,400 seconds.—
Tiffany Acosta,
AZCentral.com,
22 July 2025
-
July 9 was the first of three days in which a millisecond or more could be shaved off the clock on account of how the moon's position relative to Earth is influencing our planet's rotation.—
Eric Lagatta,
USA Today,
22 July 2025
Verb
-
Cruz had stabbed himself in the chest and was trying to slit his own wrists when police arrived at the scene and took him to a local hospital.—
Rocco Parascandola,
New York Daily News,
25 July 2025
-
When Ogle was arrested in his wife's brutal killing hours after being treated for slitting his left wrist, many former students were struck by the violent reality.—
Jade Jackson,
IndyStar,
2 July 2025
Verb
-
On Thursday, the White House announced that Trump had just sent letters to the heads of 17 major pharmaceutical companies pushing them to cut the prices that Americans have to pay down to the levels that people in other countries pay.—
Bruce Y. Lee,
Forbes.com,
3 Aug. 2025
-
The storm cut nearby Miccosukee tribal members off from the rest of the world for two days.—
Bill Kearney,
Sun Sentinel,
2 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Stormy weather could stretch over a large portion of the central and eastern US on Wednesday as humid air pours north out of the Gulf and the cold front starts to slice south.—
Mary Gilbert,
CNN Money,
29 July 2025
-
Pack firmly to ensure the crust doesn’t crumble when sliced (using the bottom of a measuring cup helps pack the crust into the pan).—
Robin Miller,
AZCentral.com,
29 July 2025
Verb
-
There’s open-pore wood trim with backlit accents, brushed aluminum trim, a wide range of ambient lights and three-zone climate control.—
Mark Phelan,
Freep.com,
31 July 2025
-
President Donald Trump's tax cut and spending legislation will trim more than $900 billion in federal spending on Medicaid over the next decade.—
Ken Alltucker,
USA Today,
30 July 2025
Verb
-
On July 21, Colbert ripped Paramount and Trump in his opening monologue.—
Bill Goodykoontz,
AZCentral.com,
24 July 2025
-
Shortly after, floods ripped through North Carolina, parts of the Midwest, New Mexico, and Washington, D.C.—
Erin Neil,
New Yorker,
23 July 2025
Verb
-
How to get sparkling rosé nails at home The same rule applies to all nude nails: Lay the foundation first by clipping your nails straight across before rounding the edges with a nail file.—
Fiona Embleton,
Glamour,
28 July 2025
-
These hammocks fit over your entire back seat and easily clip to the front and passenger seats to create a hammock with extra space for your furry friend.—
Christopher Murray
may earn a commission if you buy through our referral links. This content was created by a team that works independently from the Fox newsroom.,
FOXNews.com,
25 July 2025
Verb
-
Opposition parties have since stymied Lai's agenda, refusing to approve constitutional court justices, slashing spending, and cutting defense budgets.—
Jan Camenzind Broomby,
NPR,
26 July 2025
-
During his first term, Trump repeatedly lambasted the Fed chair for failing to slash rates quickly and aggressively enough, but his offensive has been far more strident in his current tenure.—
Paul Davidson,
USA Today,
25 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Shear.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shear. Accessed 6 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share