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
Also, make a fertilizer application after pruning and again in early fall.
—
Tom MacCubbin, The Orlando Sentinel, 7 June 2025
Learn how to prune and maintain your garden for wildfire safety.
—Jeanette Marantos, Los Angeles Times, 1 June 2025
As new innovations take hold and produce positive results, remember to prune old practices that are no longer working or have outlived their purpose.
—Michael B. Horn, Forbes.com, 21 May 2025
Prune as Needed Although peppers don’t need to be pruned as vigorously as some vegetables, pruning peppers in the right way can make the plants more productive and free up space in your garden.
—Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 17 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for prune
Tom MacCubbin, The Orlando Sentinel, 7 June 2025
Learn how to prune and maintain your garden for wildfire safety.
—Jeanette Marantos, Los Angeles Times, 1 June 2025
As new innovations take hold and produce positive results, remember to prune old practices that are no longer working or have outlived their purpose.
—Michael B. Horn, Forbes.com, 21 May 2025
Prune as Needed Although peppers don’t need to be pruned as vigorously as some vegetables, pruning peppers in the right way can make the plants more productive and free up space in your garden.
—Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 17 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for prune
Recent Examples of Synonyms for prune
Verb
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The index dipped only slightly, but that nonetheless shaved off some gains from what could have been a higher high.—
Yeo Boon Ping,
CNBC,
30 June 2025
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This was in the days when only lunatics or scary white punks had shaved heads.—
Hilton Als,
New Yorker,
30 June 2025
Verb
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The prospect of trying to cut open a stubborn 5-4-1 block in the Orlando heat could have become torturous quite quickly.—
Liam Tharme,
New York Times,
28 June 2025
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According to a report on Bloomberg, MSFT is planning to cut thousands of jobs in its Xbox gaming division.—
MoneyShow,
Forbes.com,
27 June 2025
Verb
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There had been rumors that Brown could be traded this offseason, as the Celtics continue to trim a significant amount of money off their books.—
Ricardo Klein,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 June 2025
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That 90 gets trimmed to 53 by the start of the season.—
Alex Zietlow,
Charlotte Observer,
23 June 2025
Verb
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Borrow one from a friend or neighbor to mow your new sod.—
Megan Hughes,
Better Homes & Gardens,
12 June 2025
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The signature check pattern has been mown into The Newt’s croquet lawn, and spills onto the sun loungers and seating areas.—
Samantha Conti,
Footwear News,
10 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Prune.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prune. Accessed 5 Jul. 2025.
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