SHEARED Synonyms: 64 Similar and Opposite Words

sheared

verb

Definition of sheared

past tense of shear

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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 Cotton/polyester fleece are brushed, sheared and sueded for a buttery soft hand feel. — Angela Velasquez, Footwear News, 28 July 2026 The force of the crash sheared the seatbelt Miller was wearing, and he was thrown from the vehicle. — Alex Andrejev, New York Times, 17 July 2026 Second, victims of higher taxes don’t stand still and get sheared like obedient sheep. — Steve Forbes, Forbes.com, 26 June 2026 With the jet tipped on its side and nearly sheared in half, several people managed to climb out it while a firefighter using a small ladder rescued the last remaining passenger who appeared to be unconscious. — ABC News, 17 June 2026 Drivers who came upon the burning plane, which was nearly sheared in half and tipped on its side, captured dramatic rescue scenes on video or rushed toward the aircraft on foot to help. — CBS News, 17 June 2026 It can be sheared into a formal hedge or shaped into a ball. — Daniel Scott, Better Homes & Gardens, 10 June 2026 Anchusa plants look better and self-seed less if sheared back after flowering. — Marie Iannotti, The Spruce, 9 May 2026 Up next was pineapple, its spikes thoughtfully sheared smooth and cut into spears. — Literary Hub, 8 May 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for sheared

Verb

Employers unexpectedly cut 23,000 jobs last month, and Labor Department revisions shaved 103,000 jobs off payrolls in May and June.

— Paul Wiseman, Los Angeles Times, 7 Aug. 2026
Guidance The company shaved its full-year outlook across several key metrics.

— Jeff Marks, CNBC, 6 Aug. 2026

Definition of shaved

Verb

Cut them into squares and top with a cream cheese filling spiked with almond extract, then sliced fresh apricots.

— Torie Cox, Southern Living, 1 Aug. 2026
The pandemic, after all, sliced history definitively into an unknowing before, an interminable during, and a maybe-one-day after.

— Mitch Therieau, New Yorker, 1 Aug. 2026

Definition of sliced

Verb

However, a dangerous push to cut these crucial programs, especially in Africa, risks repeating past errors and ceding influence to competitors.

— James K. Glassman, Forbes.com, 8 Aug. 2026
Sears carried it wide, cut inside center-back Rafaelle, and fired past Moorhouse for the goal.

— Kyle Foley, The Orlando Sentinel, 8 Aug. 2026

Definition of cut

Verb

The images her sister captured after the strike show the trajectory of the projectile, which ripped through floor after floor, and left a gaping hole covered in a thick layer of white dust.

— Ava Bambuck, CNN Money, 6 Aug. 2026
As if it were ripped from a movie script, Crow-Armstrong slugged a leadoff home run in the first — just as Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani had in the top of the inning to cap a 10-pitch at-bat against Shota Imanaga.

— Meghan Montemurro, Chicago Tribune, 6 Aug. 2026

Definition of ripped

Verb

As a result, the company slashed its full-year guidance for organic growth and operating profit, and offered a weak initial 2026 earnings forecast.

— Jeff Marks, CNBC, 6 Aug. 2026
The administration also slashed funding for mRNA vaccine research and curtailed access to the COVID vaccines.

— Rob Stein, NPR, 6 Aug. 2026

Definition of slashed

Verb

Ohtani's two-run homer off Ryan Zeferjahn, his 26th, trimmed Chicago's lead to one.

— CBS News, CBS News, 5 Aug. 2026
For example, Mordor Intelligence notes in its Smart Cities Market Report that Singapore’s Smart Nation AI initiative has trimmed average commute times by 11 minutes thanks to a 92% accurate bus-crowding prediction model.

— Lee-Lean Shu, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2026

Definition of trimmed

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“Sheared.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sheared. Accessed 10 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of sheared

verb

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