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
Sheep are shearing the land under solar panels to benefit two industries
As solar power’s land needs grow, more ranchers are turning to agrivoltaics.
—
Troy Aidan Sambajon, The Christian Science Monitor, 17 Mar. 2025
Megalodon likely fed with immense force, using its powerful jaws to shear through its prey’s thick bones and flesh.
—Melissa Cristina Márquez, Forbes, 8 Mar. 2025
Commonly sheared to create a formal hedge or neatly clipped into a topiary, Japanese holly is a unique, fast-growing holly.
—Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 19 Feb. 2025
Avoid shearing the plants back to the same size each year.
—Tom MacCubbin, Orlando Sentinel, 1 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shear
Troy Aidan Sambajon, The Christian Science Monitor, 17 Mar. 2025
Megalodon likely fed with immense force, using its powerful jaws to shear through its prey’s thick bones and flesh.
—Melissa Cristina Márquez, Forbes, 8 Mar. 2025
Commonly sheared to create a formal hedge or neatly clipped into a topiary, Japanese holly is a unique, fast-growing holly.
—Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 19 Feb. 2025
Avoid shearing the plants back to the same size each year.
—Tom MacCubbin, Orlando Sentinel, 1 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shear
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shear
Verb
-
Tommaso Ciampa has recently undergone a noticeable change in appearance by shaving off his trademark beard.—
Nicholas Creel,
MSNBC Newsweek,
19 Apr. 2025
-
With cord-cutting continuing to shave the traditional pay-TV bundle by millions of subscribers a year, however, FAST has become an increasingly vibrant part of the TV ecosystem.—
Dade Hayes,
Deadline,
17 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Rolling the pastry around the carrots and sealing the ends creates the traditional Wellington shape; decorative slits in the dough add visual interest and allow steam to escape while the log cooks.—
Kendra Vaculin,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
3 Apr. 2025
-
Then, fearing he'd be blamed, Tripp stole a knife from the office of pastry chef Didier Gotthard (Bronson Pinchot) and used it to slit A.B.'s wrists in order to make his death look more like a suicide.—
Megan McCluskey,
TIME,
21 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
With the new order, Trump is threatening to cut federal funds to cities and states his Administration decides are blocking his mass deportation effort.—
Brian Bennett,
Time,
29 Apr. 2025
-
The state says the rule is crucial to meeting greenhouse gas emission reduction targets and cutting smog-forming pollutants.—
David Shepardson,
USA Today,
29 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
The wall slices through the home, guiding you from the open-air atrium to indoor living spaces, all wrapped in sliding glass and shadow play.—
Abby Montanez,
Robb Report,
25 Apr. 2025
-
Landeskog initially hurt his right knee during the 2020 playoffs, when it was sliced by teammate Cale Makar’s skate after the defenseman had fallen to the ice.—
Mark Lazerus,
New York Times,
24 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
But after Morant exited, the Thunder trimmed their halftime deficit in half midway through the third quarter.—
The Athletic NBA Staff,
New York Times,
24 Apr. 2025
-
Keep it simple and sweet by wrapping paper into a cone, trimming the excess if desired, and securing it with tape.—
Valerie Fraser Luesse,
Southern Living,
24 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
The bomb explodes at 9:02 a.m., ripping to ruins the nine-story structure.—
Todd Pendleton,
USA Today,
19 Apr. 2025
-
The thought of being ripped from her home, without time to pack up her belongings or say goodbye to friends, shakes her to the core.—
Rebecca Plevin,
Los Angeles Times,
18 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
In recent national headlines were a fatal crash of a tour helicopter in New York, a small plane that crashed in Florida and two commercial jets that clipped wings at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.—
Jeanine Santucci,
USA Today,
19 Apr. 2025
-
More storms in Kansas City area’s forecast The weather service said additional storms are expected to develop Thursday afternoon and evening to the north in Nebraska and Iowa, possibly clipping northern Missouri.—
Robert A. Cronkleton,
Kansas City Star,
17 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
The Trump administration wants to significantly cut NASA’s budget next year, slashing science research funding in half, a reduction that would halt the launch of a high-tech space telescope and curtail other planetary exploration missions.—
George Petras,
USA Today,
22 Apr. 2025
-
Nimmo is slashing mere .202/.253/.381 this season, but Sunday’s heroics could be a sign of changing fortune.—
James O'Connell,
New York Daily News,
20 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Shear.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shear. Accessed 1 May. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share