1
as in shaved
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 sliced
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 sheared
The communications pole that was sheared in the April 2025 crash that left 19-year-old Preston Obeidin dead near Temecula.
—
Matthew Rodriguez, CBS News, 16 Apr. 2026
When money is received, the group works with wildlife managers if a location needs to be sheared, burned or bulldozed.
—Andrew Weeks, Twin Cities, 10 Apr. 2026
The strike on Saturday sheared the façade off several adjacent apartment blocks and shattered glass for blocks around.
—Marlene Lenthang, NBC news, 23 Mar. 2026
Footage from Israel's emergency service showed a large crater next to what appeared to be apartment buildings with outer walls sheared away.
—Arkansas Online, 22 Mar. 2026
Abelias lose their natural, graceful appearance when pruned or sheared heavily.
—Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 22 Feb. 2026
As the continents sheared and twisted unevenly, local forces squeezed together thin ribbons of crust and popped them up like geological meerkats, isolating and slicing them off.
—Evan Howell, Scientific American, 4 Feb. 2026
It can be lightly sheared to maintain shape but is slow-growing and takes a long time to recover from aggressive pruning.
—Daniel Scott, Better Homes & Gardens, 22 Jan. 2026
The bedding is triple sheared, and as a result, pilling is very minor.
—Yelena Moroz Alpert, Architectural Digest, 21 Jan. 2026
Matthew Rodriguez, CBS News, 16 Apr. 2026
When money is received, the group works with wildlife managers if a location needs to be sheared, burned or bulldozed.
—Andrew Weeks, Twin Cities, 10 Apr. 2026
The strike on Saturday sheared the façade off several adjacent apartment blocks and shattered glass for blocks around.
—Marlene Lenthang, NBC news, 23 Mar. 2026
Footage from Israel's emergency service showed a large crater next to what appeared to be apartment buildings with outer walls sheared away.
—Arkansas Online, 22 Mar. 2026
Abelias lose their natural, graceful appearance when pruned or sheared heavily.
—Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 22 Feb. 2026
As the continents sheared and twisted unevenly, local forces squeezed together thin ribbons of crust and popped them up like geological meerkats, isolating and slicing them off.
—Evan Howell, Scientific American, 4 Feb. 2026
It can be lightly sheared to maintain shape but is slow-growing and takes a long time to recover from aggressive pruning.
—Daniel Scott, Better Homes & Gardens, 22 Jan. 2026
The bedding is triple sheared, and as a result, pilling is very minor.
—Yelena Moroz Alpert, Architectural Digest, 21 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sheared
Verb
-
Shortly after revealing her diagnosis in February 2025, Mellencamp shaved her head to prep for surgery to remove a few of the tumors.—
Ashley Hume,
FOXNews.com,
24 Apr. 2026
-
Brett Baty had a two-run single that shaved New York's deficit to 4-3 in the eighth, but Mark Vientos lined into an inning-ending double play with two runners aboard.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Ein Samia and Bardala, West Bank — When the masked men sliced through the metal fence of the water-pumping station on a dark February evening and ran toward the squat building, the four workers inside panicked.—
Laura Paddison,
CNN Money,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Cut from the trompo, the marinated pork shoulder is sliced onto a corn tortilla, then topped with onions, cilantro and roasted pineapple.—
Eva Remijan-Toba,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
When the Broncos cut Greenlaw, the 49ers wasted no time in bringing him back to pair with middle linebacker Fred Warner in hopes of reviving one of the NFL’s top linebacker tandems.—
Jerry McDonald,
Mercury News,
25 Apr. 2026
-
Jacksonville general manager James Gladstone and coach Liam Coen cut their teeth as part of the Rams organization, learning from GM Les Snead and coach Sean McVay.—
Mark Long,
The Orlando Sentinel,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Tom Holland, more celebs zap their muscles with electricity to get ripped.—
Charles Trepany,
USA Today,
1 May 2026
-
Kerfoot floated a perfect saucer pass over the defender’s stick, and Carcone ripped a one-timer into the top of the net to give Utah a 4-3 lead with just over seven minutes to play.—
Jesse Granger,
New York Times,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Edmundson, who’d lost MacKinnon on his first goal, atoned by receiving Kempe’s pass in the high slot and flicking a shot that clipped Wedgewood on its way into the net.—
Andrew Knoll,
Daily News,
26 Apr. 2026
-
It was not known which way Woods was leaning before his SUV clipped the back of a trailer being pulled by a pickup truck on a residential road in Florida, turning his vehicle on its side.—
Doug Ferguson,
Chicago Tribune,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Flights to and from smaller California hubs such as Sacramento and Burbank have been canceled, while Air Canada and German airline Lufthansa slashed routes from their summer schedules earlier this month.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
25 Apr. 2026
-
Governments slashed services and raised taxes to cover their massive new pension contributions.—
Steven Greenhut,
Oc Register,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Benintendi's two-run double off Nick Sandlin (0-1) trimmed the Angels' lead to one.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Benintendi’s two-run double off Nick Sandlin (0-1) trimmed the Angels’ lead to one.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Nikki is tall, pierced, and punk rock; her pink hair is shaved down the sides and forms a floppy mohawk up top.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
23 Apr. 2026
-
The Cook County medical examiner’s office found that the fatal shot pierced Rivera’s skin near her left armpit and traveled through both her lungs, wedging itself in her ribs, autopsy records show.—
Sam Charles,
Chicago Tribune,
17 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Sheared.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sheared. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
