1
as in trimming
to make (something) shorter or smaller with the use of a cutting instrument
a mother who's sad to see her little boy's curls clipped for the first time
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in hitting
to deliver a blow to (someone or something) usually in a strong vigorous manner
the pitch clipped the batter's helmet with enough force to knock it clean off his head
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of clipping
Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 14 Mar. 2025
Gardeners compost kitchen vegetable scraps and yard waste, such as lawn trimmings, raked leaves, and plant clippings to make nutrient-rich soil amendments for landscaping and vegetable beds.
—Bestreviews, The Mercury News, 11 Mar. 2025
Tricia Manzanero Stuedeman, Southern Living, 10 Dec. 2024
To maximize flowering, prune late blooming clematis hard in February by clipping vines back to the lowest set of flower buds.
—Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 5 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for clipping
Noun
Start by cutting the lawn very low and raking the planting area to remove the clippings, dead grass, and other debris.
—Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 14 Mar. 2025
Gardeners compost kitchen vegetable scraps and yard waste, such as lawn trimmings, raked leaves, and plant clippings to make nutrient-rich soil amendments for landscaping and vegetable beds.
—Bestreviews, The Mercury News, 11 Mar. 2025
Verb
Bag up thicker icing in a variety of shades, clipping or tying the back of the piping bags to seal, then create bags of thinner icing in a variety of colors.
—Tricia Manzanero Stuedeman, Southern Living, 10 Dec. 2024
To maximize flowering, prune late blooming clematis hard in February by clipping vines back to the lowest set of flower buds.
—Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 5 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for clipping
Recent Examples of Synonyms for clipping
Noun
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Stray wood debris or shavings: Carpenter ants can tunnel through wood to make their nests, leaving behind sawdust or wood shavings.—
Evan Moore,
Charlotte Observer,
31 Mar. 2025
-
No mere shaving for us, when shaving can be aggressive.—
Matthew Korfhage,
WIRED,
15 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Melissa Joan Hart is showing off her impressive beard-trimming skills!—
Gil Macias,
People.com,
6 Jan. 2025
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The couple can be seen having a blast as Hart took the clippers and started trimming Wilkerson's beard in various ways, eventually splitting it into three long strands.—
Gil Macias,
People.com,
6 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Newcastle’s equaliser was allowed to stand despite the ball hitting Joelinton’s hand in the build-up.—
Phil Hay,
The Athletic,
6 Jan. 2025
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Just hitting a big play, that’s going to get everybody going, get everybody fired up.—
Paul Johnson,
Chicago Tribune,
6 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Ward shortened his drop and threw a strike in the small sliver of space just before the hash mark.—
Ted Nguyen,
New York Times,
28 Mar. 2025
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In just about every single episode of CSI, techs wearing no protective equipment whatsoever stand in rooms lit like dive bars, feeding slivers of human tissue into machines that whir briefly and spit out a neat list of every foreign substance in the body.—
Samuel Ashworth,
The Atlantic,
20 Mar. 2025
Noun
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The heartfelt track opens with a home video audio snippet of Uchis’ mother wishing her a good morning as the Colombian crooner serenades someone close to her in her life.—
Chris Malone Mendez,
Forbes.com,
28 Mar. 2025
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Despite snippets of dialogue suggesting Nikki hasn’t always been reliable in the past, and meatier scenes acknowledging the emotional toll the situation is taking on her now, the bond never feels informed by complicated feelings, a long history or the possibility of change.—
Angie Han,
HollywoodReporter,
27 Mar. 2025
Verb
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The group in the other vehicle surround Martinez between the two vehicles, with two people repeatedly punching her while a third person pulls her legs, taking her to the ground.—
Nathan Solis,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Dec. 2024
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According to Hallman, Forrest-Stitt responded by allegedly assaulting him, punching him in the chest, hitting his mouth, and causing injuries, including a busted lip and a painful bicep injury.—
Gordon G. Chang,
Newsweek,
11 Dec. 2024
Noun
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The design is classic and functional, and it’s made from a weather-resistant and UV-resistant material that won’t rot, splinter, chip, or peel.—
Megan Schaltegger,
Better Homes & Gardens,
23 Mar. 2025
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Anyone who has suffered the indignity of a splinter, a blister, or a paper cut knows that small things can sometimes be hugely annoying.—
Nate Anderson,
Ars Technica,
22 Mar. 2025
Noun
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The set includes an 8-inch chef knife, 8-inch bread knife, 8-inch slicing knife, a 7-inch Santoku knife, 5-inch utility knife, and 3.5-inch paring knife.—
Stephanie Osmanski,
Better Homes & Gardens,
14 Mar. 2025
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Just as the interior of the house may benefit from a paring down for selling, so too could the yard.—
Patricia Shannon,
Southern Living,
24 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Clipping.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clipping. Accessed 14 Apr. 2025.
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