as in to shave
to make (something) shorter or smaller with the use of a cutting instrument
pruned the dead branches from the old apple tree
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Recent Examples of prune
For many investors, maintaining diversification could mean pruning back positions in riskier assets, such as cryptocurrency and fast-growing tech firms, which may have become an outsize part of your portfolio in recent years.
—
Ryan Ermey, CNBC, 14 Mar. 2025
As the brain develops in adolescence, neurons are naturally pruned back, and cortex thickness decreases.
—Lauren J. Young, Scientific American, 11 Mar. 2025
Tree Care Tree care, for purposes of the report, includes three applications of tree fertilizer, regular spraying, trimming, and pruning, as well as the removal of one 30-foot-tall tree.
—Luke Miller, Better Homes & Gardens, 17 Mar. 2025
Residents can help maintain tree health in Saratoga by regularly watering and pruning trees on their property, reporting signs of disease or damage to the city and applying for a tree permit removal as needed.
—Belal Aftab, The Mercury News, 16 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for prune
Ryan Ermey, CNBC, 14 Mar. 2025
As the brain develops in adolescence, neurons are naturally pruned back, and cortex thickness decreases.
—Lauren J. Young, Scientific American, 11 Mar. 2025
Tree Care Tree care, for purposes of the report, includes three applications of tree fertilizer, regular spraying, trimming, and pruning, as well as the removal of one 30-foot-tall tree.
—Luke Miller, Better Homes & Gardens, 17 Mar. 2025
Residents can help maintain tree health in Saratoga by regularly watering and pruning trees on their property, reporting signs of disease or damage to the city and applying for a tree permit removal as needed.
—Belal Aftab, The Mercury News, 16 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for prune
Recent Examples of Synonyms for prune
Verb
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Derrin claims Farley would also shave and put his body hair on people and their food.—
David Matthews,
New York Daily News,
26 Mar. 2025
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Revisited epic, and its power is undiminished even though Dylan shaved off some of the latter verses.—
Andy Greene,
Rolling Stone,
26 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Pitino pulled star wing RJ Luis out of the lineup after making two free throws to cut Arkansas’ lead to two points with less than five minutes to play.—
Brendan Quinn,
The Athletic,
23 Mar. 2025
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Will cutting sustainability contribute to losing trust with employees, consumers, and communities?—
Paul Klein,
Forbes,
23 Mar. 2025
Verb
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One of those earlier safety campaigns, in June of last year, pertained to trim pieces along the exterior of the trunk bed that could come loose while driving.—
Bloomberg,
The Mercury News,
20 Mar. 2025
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Stefan Wermuth | Bloomberg | Getty Images The Swiss National bank on Thursday trimmed its key interest rate by a further 25 basis points as the country’s economy grapples with depressed inflation.—
Sophie Kiderlin,
CNBC,
20 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Remove excessive quantities of tree leaves from home lawns before mowing. 20.—
Tom MacCubbin,
The Orlando Sentinel,
29 Mar. 2025
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The city placed signs along a 6-mile stretch of Ronald Reagan Boulevard to let residents know that Leander is delaying mowing the area until June for milkweed growth (the only plant the butterflies will lay eggs on).—
Nicole Cobler,
Axios,
25 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Prune.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prune. Accessed 3 Apr. 2025.
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