shear off

verb

sheared off; sheared off or shorn off; shearing off; shears off
1
: to become separated suddenly because of great force
The excess weight caused the bolt to shear off.
2
: to remove (something) with great force
The impact of the crash sheared off the airplane's wing.

Examples of shear off in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
An enormous chunk of glacier around 2,000 feet wide sheared off Langtang Lirung mountain in northern Nepal, accompanied by landslide, according to satellite analysis. — Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 28 Aug. 2026 On top of torrential monsoon rains over the last few weeks, sources interviewed by CNN suspect that an earthquake may be responsible for shearing off a chunk of glacier, which tumbled into a river valley, displacing Biblical volumes of water. — Joe Wilkins, Futurism, 26 Aug. 2026 Massive, multi-ton blocks of salt can break away from the ceiling and plummet through the cavern, shearing off the vital steel extraction pipes hanging inside. — Siddharth Misra, Fortune, 25 Aug. 2026 The petals that would normally stay attached on a Barnes bullet shear off and kind of radiate out into a larger wound pattern. — Alex Robinson, Outdoor Life, 20 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for shear off

Rhymes for shear off

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Browse Nearby Words

shearmouse
shear off
shear pin
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Shear off.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shear%20off. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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