skive

verb

Definition of skivenext
as in to shave

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

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 skive The graduation ceremony and the reception afterward are cute and heartwarming for the grown-ups, bittersweet and mortifying for the kids, who skive off to smoke some of Ed’s high-test weed and have a little Texas Forever moment, toasting their enduring friendships. — Sophie Brookover, Vulture, 27 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for skive
  1. shave
  2. shear
  3. whittle
  4. nip
  5. dock
  6. pare
  7. snip
  8. clip
Verb
  • Centering consumer protection In 2020, a ghost candidate scheme that helped unseat Rodriguez relied on paying candidates to run who had no plans to win but could shave votes from Democratic candidates.
    — Romy Ellenbogen Herald, Miami Herald, 26 Aug. 2026
  • At 25, England cricketer Chris Lewis experienced an even more direct consequence after team-mate Devon Malcolm shaved his head during England’s 1994 West Indies tour to raise money for Children in Need.
    — Amelie Claydon, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of shave
Verb
  • The impact sheared the pole and caused the vehicle to catch fire.
    — Richard Ramos, CBS News, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Cotton/polyester fleece are brushed, sheared and sueded for a buttery soft hand feel.
    — Angela Velasquez, Footwear News, 28 July 2026
Definition of shear
Verb
  • This year’s effort was initially much broader, but a last-minute deal whittled it down to limit certain local taxes in return for legislators’ dropping a measure that would have required anti-tax measures to meet a two-thirds threshold.
    — Dan Walters, Mercury News, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Voters set up races for four Orange County commission seats in November by whittling casts of candidates to two in districts 2, 6, 7 and 8.
    — Stephen Hudak, The Orlando Sentinel, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of whittle
Verb
  • For instance, teaching your dog how to play with a pull toy can help reduce nipping at hands and strengthen the bond between human and dog.
    — BestReviews, Chicago Tribune, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Cristopher Sanchez worked six effective innings to become the majors’ first 16-game winner as the Philadelphia Phillies nipped the visiting Miami Marlins 6-5 on Monday.
    — Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of nip
Verb
  • Like Assembly leaders and the governor, the Senate plan also suggests docking CEO bonuses to incentivize utilities to maintain safer practices.
    — Stephen Hobbs, Sacbee.com, 26 Aug. 2026
  • New cruise passengers may not realize that ships sometimes dock quite a distance from major destinations.
    — Nathan Diller, USA Today, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of dock
Verb
  • Quiet luxury has also taken a more casual turn this summer, thanks in no small part to recent looks sported by the likes of Meghan Markle and Cate Blanchett, who have shown how the aesthetic can be pared back and even playful.
    — Julia Teti, Footwear News, 26 Aug. 2026
  • After three decades, CBO found that the average annual per-person income would be $9,000 lower, or reduced by 10%, if government debt continued to grow instead of being pared down.
    — Medora Lee, USA Today, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of pare
Verb
  • To help prevent the fabric around the drawstring hole from fraying, paint a rectangle and snip an opening in the channel as described below.
    — Jodi Levine, Parents, 21 Aug. 2026
  • The post was private but was snipped and disseminated on social media before it was deleted less than an hour later.
    — Ana Goñi-Lessan, Sun Sentinel, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of snip
Verb
  • His rhythm is clipped instead of musical, and Truman chooses to emphasize the words of his speech without emotion.
    — USA Today, USA Today, 24 Aug. 2026
  • On lap 36 of 147, Team Penske's David Malukas, who qualified in the top 6, was making his way through the final corner but appeared to clip the inside wall of the Washington, DC street circuit.
    — Matt Reigle OutKick, FOXNews.com, 23 Aug. 2026
Definition of clip

Browse Nearby Words

skittishness
skive
skived
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

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

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of dissonant

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
skateboard-dog-hat
Wordmaxxing Slang Quiz Give your vocabulary a glow up by getting sendy w...
See All