shear Synonyms
Another word for shear
• noun (Context 1)
A large cutting instrument resembling scissors, typically used in the plural (shears) for clipping wool, trimming hedges, or cutting sheet metal.
"The gardener used a heavy pair of shears to trim the overgrown boxwood hedge."
• verb (Context 2)
To cut the wool or hair off an animal or person using clippers or large scissors.
"Farmers across the valley gather every spring to clip the sheep before the summer heat arrives."
• verb (Context 3)
To break off or cause to break off owing to a structural strain or sliding lateral force.
"The excessive torque caused the steel bolts on the drive shaft to break off completely."
• verb (Context 4)
To strip or deprive someone of a possession, privilege, or status (usually used in the passive with 'of').
"Shorn of his official title and authority, the former director retired from public life."
• noun (Context 5)
The act, process, or seasonal instance of clipping the fleece from a sheep.
"The flock's spring shearing yielded an impressive amount of high-grade merino wool."
Opposites of shear
The opposite of shear shifts depending on context. Common opposites include: