1
as in to cut
to make (something) shorter or smaller with the use of a cutting instrument
he always shaves most of his hair off when the weather starts getting warmer
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to brush
to pass lightly across or touch gently especially in passing
just shaved the concrete post as the car turned the corner
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of shave
Bill Gourgey, Popular Science, 29 Apr. 2026
Reiner, with his head shaved and a scruffy goatee, wore a yellow prison top with blue prison pants.
—Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 29 Apr. 2026
Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 12 Mar. 2026
The trailer opens on Lois (Jane Kaczmarek) giving Hal (Bryan Cranston) a full-body shave while on a video call with their second youngest.
—Bethy Squires, Vulture, 12 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for shave
Verb
Every fraction of drag coefficient that engineers can shave translates directly into miles of range, and range is what sells electric cars.
—Bill Gourgey, Popular Science, 29 Apr. 2026
Reiner, with his head shaved and a scruffy goatee, wore a yellow prison top with blue prison pants.
—Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 29 Apr. 2026
Noun
Ellsworth-Clark watches Jane Kaczmarek shave Bryan Cranston's back and crotch in the first scene of the new trailer.
—Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 12 Mar. 2026
The trailer opens on Lois (Jane Kaczmarek) giving Hal (Bryan Cranston) a full-body shave while on a video call with their second youngest.
—Bethy Squires, Vulture, 12 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for shave
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shave
Verb
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At the same time, Bass has proposed cutting entirely the Animal Services Department’s annual budget for food, which was $200,000 last year, and also slashing the medical supplies budget to $49,000, from $388,000 last year.—
Sandra McDonald,
Los Angeles Times,
1 May 2026
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But now that the post-pandemic boom has well and truly gone bust, just showing up with a great looking timepiece isn’t going to cut it.—
Lily Templeton,
Footwear News,
1 May 2026
Verb
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When tetraploid and diploid plants are crossed, pollen from the diploids is brushed onto the stigmas of the tetraploids.—
Joshua Siskin,
Oc Register,
7 May 2026
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Along one wall, swatches of fabric hang in dense, vertical layers—florals brushing against checks, brocades against stripes—forming a kind of working tapestry.—
Lilah Ramzi,
Vogue,
7 May 2026
Noun
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While no actual showers were possible, each astronaut had a personal kit including no-rinse shampoo, baby wipes, toothbrushes and shaving accessories.—
Jackie Wattles,
CNN Money,
11 Apr. 2026
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While some users questioned the logic behind the move, others were particularly alarmed by the environment in which the shaving took place.—
Maria Azzurra Volpe,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Brian Kemp signs 34 bills, trimming his backlog with days left to act on this year’s legislation.—
Adam Beam,
AJC.com,
6 May 2026
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Ridestore subjects materials to failure testing during both development and production, evaluating bond strength in laminated membranes, water-repellency performance and trim durability before materials move into manufacturing.—
Alexandra Harrell,
Footwear News,
6 May 2026
Verb
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Alisoun has previously tricked Absalom into kissing her butt by sticking it out the window just as Absalom leaned in, intent on kissing her other cheek.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
4 May 2026
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Berrios-Otero then allegedly kissed the child’s head, pulled him closer and put his hand back under the blanket, the warrant affidavits said.—
Justin Muszynski,
Hartford Courant,
2 May 2026
Noun
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Perhaps a little bit less aggressive clipping at the end of the straights.—
Madeline Coleman,
New York Times,
1 May 2026
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And the cars can harvest more energy while super clipping—the full 350 kW rather than the 250 kW allowed in the first three race weekends this year.—
Jonathan M. Gitlin,
ArsTechnica,
20 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Rain pushes the weeds higher, then shelters them on turf too soft for the machines meant to clip them.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
1 May 2026
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Enjoy the offseason and try not to watch that clip too many times this summer.—
Austin Perry OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
29 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Rumors of a Nader-Savchenko romance began sparking shortly after their paring on DWTS.—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
10 Apr. 2026
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Use a sharp paring knife or the curved tip of a vegetable peeler to remove any larger sprouts from the potato.—
Heather Riske,
Better Homes & Gardens,
16 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Shave.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shave. Accessed 8 May. 2026.
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