1
as in transparent
very thin and easy to see through
we had to get window shades because passersby could see right through our sheer curtains
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in utter
having no exceptions or restrictions
survivors of the earthquake told of experiencing sheer terror
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in steep
having an incline approaching the perpendicular
the sheer slopes of the ravine
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
2
as in to veer
to depart abruptly from a straight line or course
the car sheered to avoid hitting the dog
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of sheer
Victoria Le, Oc Register, 3 Apr. 2026
With such a sheer volume of work coming out, the anime market can get crowded, and its easy for these works to bleed together into a vague blob of gag comedies, action-adventure shows, and sickly-sweet romances.
—Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 3 Apr. 2026
Ariana Yaptangco, Glamour, 18 Sep. 2025
The direct hit from an Iranian missile sheered the front off of a ten-story residential building, killing six people and burying several more under mounds of rubble.
—Nbc News, NBC news, 15 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for sheer
Adjective
The sheer size of the 150-acre stadium, Aitken said, as well as the baseball team’s running lease on the property, could make those conversations tricky.
—Victoria Le, Oc Register, 3 Apr. 2026
With such a sheer volume of work coming out, the anime market can get crowded, and its easy for these works to bleed together into a vague blob of gag comedies, action-adventure shows, and sickly-sweet romances.
—Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 3 Apr. 2026
Verb
The serum itself is a gold-yellow shade that looks almost tinted at first, but sheers out once applied.
—Ariana Yaptangco, Glamour, 18 Sep. 2025
The direct hit from an Iranian missile sheered the front off of a ten-story residential building, killing six people and burying several more under mounds of rubble.
—Nbc News, NBC news, 15 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for sheer
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sheer
Adjective
-
That perspective carries through in everything from pricing and negotiation to design, digital exposure, and the behind-the-scenes systems intended to make the process smoother and more transparent.—
Connie Etemadi,
AZCentral.com,
31 Mar. 2026
-
The keycaps are solid black with shine-through letters, while eight keys on the north part of the modular keypad are thick, smooth, transparent plastic.—
Aubrey Jowers,
PC Magazine,
31 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
After letting the final Bosnian penalty slip under his reach on Tuesday, Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma remained on his knees, putting his hands on his head in utter disbelief.—
Ben Church,
CNN Money,
1 Apr. 2026
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The transition from agricultural employment to factory employment involved wrenching mass migration, the utter misery of the Great Depression (as well as other brutal recessions, now faded from collective memory), and the painful dealmaking of the New Deal.—
Annie Lowrey,
The Atlantic,
25 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
While consumers worldwide face steep price hikes, Brazilian gasoline prices rose just 5% in March — compared to 30% in the United States.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
31 Mar. 2026
-
The beatdown started with a low crawl up King’s steep gravel driveway.—
Charles Bethea,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
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If the Giants don’t deviate from their rotation, Tyler Mahle will pitch on Saturday, while Landen Roupp and Adrian Houser will handle the first two games of the series in San Diego on Monday and Tuesday.—
Justice delos Santos,
Mercury News,
27 Mar. 2026
-
Accordingly, the warring factions have competed to depict themselves as the true embodiment of MAGA and paint their rivals as undermining Trump or deviating from his precepts.—
Jonathan Chait,
The Atlantic,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Born in 1932 in the central German town of Halberstadt, Kluge started his career as a lawyer, but soon veered towards literature and cinema.—
Nick Vivarelli,
Variety,
27 Mar. 2026
-
This is where Dorit veers wrong a bit.—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
27 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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These windows will be covered with translucent film of different Idaho mountain ranges, giving those inside privacy while allowing natural light to flow through into the lounge, which can hold up to 500 people.—
Shaun Goodwin,
Idaho Statesman,
28 Mar. 2026
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Psarras spends the majority of his time slinking through space, scanning the highly detailed living room of opulence for the next steps of Tony’s grisly plan (the varied set design, which includes some ingenious touches with translucent walls, is by Ron Gasparinetti) .—
David John Chávez,
Mercury News,
27 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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With speed on the right wing as essentially a pure winger rather than her usual right-back role, Oke gave Reign’s defense fits, especially when another midfielder joined and created overloads.—
Braidon Nourse,
Denver Post,
5 Apr. 2026
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Researchers in Germany are developing a new electrochemical method to coat fusion reactors with pure tungsten.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
4 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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In August, a magnitude 6 earthquake struck a remote, mountainous part of eastern Afghanistan, killing more than 2,200 people.—
Elena Becatoros,
Los Angeles Times,
4 Apr. 2026
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Prior to word of the first service member's rescue, social media footage showed American drones, aircraft and helicopters flying over the mountainous region where a TV channel affiliated with Iranian state television said earlier that at least one pilot bailed out of the fighter jet.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
4 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Sheer.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sheer. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
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