prunes

present tense third-person singular of prune
as in shaves
to make (something) shorter or smaller with the use of a cutting instrument pruned the dead branches from the old apple tree

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of prunes Cadet, who spent several years working as a florist, prunes the thick green stems of the faux lilies and roses. Elly Fishman, Vogue, 8 May 2026 Van Tassel prunes her tomatoes throughout the season for better air circulation. Lauren David, Southern Living, 3 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for prunes
Verb
  • That shaves a year off the typical 120-hour bachelor’s degree.
    ABC News, ABC News, 24 Aug. 2026
  • For example, using behind-the-meter battery storage or local generation during peak windows actively shaves expensive demand charges without sacrificing performance.
    Ray Fernandez, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • That cuts a contrast to Nepal, where authorities and other sources have provided more frequent updates.
    Sophie Tanno, CNN Money, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Miranda Hope says in a scene as the trailer cuts to a shot of Paul sobbing and being hugged by Neeley, Mikayla Matthews and Jessi Draper.
    Selome Hailu, Variety, 26 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • To make things easier, Instagram rolled out a new First Draft tool on Tuesday that automatically trims your clips and prepares them for the next stage of the editing process.
    Jibin Joseph, PC Magazine, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Sovereign-adjacent platforms in Australia, private credit desks, insurance capital, and trading firms are now funding compute demand that exists whether or not any single hyperscaler trims its budget.
    Jon Markman, Forbes.com, 9 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • All of my essentials are packed in my Stowaway, which clips into my weekender as a bag organizer, and can clip out to be worn on its own as a crossbody when walking around during the day or as a clutch when going out in the evening.
    Elly Leavitt, Vogue, 16 July 2026
  • This compact tote folds into a small pouch that clips directly onto your keys and expands into a functional bag when needed.
    Corein Carter, Forbes.com, 29 May 2026
Verb
  • Scrolling through Reddit and X feels claustrophobic because the screen aggressively crops out so much content.
    Kimberly Gedeon, PC Magazine, 3 Aug. 2026
  • When a user uploads a photo, the algorithm locates the bee, crops the image and compares it to our database.
    Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 14 Nov. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Prunes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prunes. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster