THESAURUS
shear
abbreviate, abridge, abscind, abstract, amputate, annihilate, ban, bar, barb, barber, bare, bleed, bleed white, bob, boil down, capsulize, clip, compress, condense, contract, crop, cull, curtail, cut, cut away, cut back, cut down, cut off, cut off short, cut out, cut short, denudate, denude, deplume, despoil, displume, divest, dock, drain, dry, elide, eliminate, enucleate, epitomize, eradicate, except, excise, exclude, exhaust, expose, extinguish, extirpate, flay, fleece, foreshorten, impoverish, isolate, knock off, lay bare, lay open, lop, manicure, milk, mow, mutilate, nip, pare, peel, pick clean, pick out, pluck, poll, pollard, prune, reap, recap, recapitulate, reduce, remove, retrench, root out, rule out, set apart, set aside, shave, shorten, skin, skive, snip, snub, stamp out, strike off, strip, strip bare, strip off, stunt, suck dry, sum up, summarize, synopsize, take in, take off, take out, telescope, trim, truncate, uncloak, uncover, unsheathe, unveil, wipe out
ROGET THESAURUS
shear
Taking
VB
take, catch, hook, nab, bag, sack, pocket, put into one's pocket, receive, accept, reap, crop, cull, pluck, gather, draw, appropriate, expropriate, impropriate, assume, possess oneself of, take possession of, commandeer, lay one's hands on, clap one's hands on, help oneself to, make free with, dip one's hands into, lay under contribution, intercept, scramble for, deprive of, take away, carry away, bear away, take off, carry off, bear off, adeem, abstract, hurry off with, run away with, abduct, steal, ravish, seize, pounce upon, spring upon, swoop to, swoop down upon, take by storm, take by assault, snatch, reave, snap up, nip up, whip up, catch up, kidnap, crimp, capture, lay violent hands on, get hold of, lay hold of, take hold of, catch hold of, lay fast hold of, take firm hold of, lay by the heels, take prisoner, fasten upon, grip, grapple, embrace, gripe, clasp, grab, clutch, collar, throttle, take by the throat, claw, clinch, clench, make sure of, catch at, jump at, make a grab at, snap at, snatch at, reach, make a long arm, stretch forth one's hand, take from, take away from, disseize, deduct, retrench, dispossess, ease one of, snatch from one's grasp, tear from, tear away from, wrench from, wrest from, wring from, extort, deprive of, bereave, disinherit, cut off with a shilling, oust, divest, levy, distrain, confiscate, sequester, sequestrate, accroach, usurp, despoil, strip, fleece,
shear, displume, impoverish, eat out of house and home, drain, drain to the dregs, gut, dry, exhaust, swallow up, absorb, draw off, suck the blood of, suck like a leech, retake, resume, recover.
Contraction
VB
become small, become smaller, lessen, decrease, grow less, dwindle, shrink, contract, narrow, shrivel, collapse, wither, lose flesh, wizen, fall away, waste, wane, ebb, decay, be smaller than, fall short of, not come up to, render smaller, lessen, diminish, contract, draw in, narrow, coarctate, boil down, constrict, constringe, condense, compress, squeeze, corrugate, crimp, crunch, crush, crumple up, warp, purse up, pack, squeeze, stow, pinch, tighten, strangle, cramp, dwarf, bedwarf, shorten, circumscribe, restrain, (subtraction) 38 abrade, pare, reduce, attenuate, rub down, scrape, file, file down, grind, grind down, chip, shave,
shear, wear down.
Shortness
VB
be short, render short, shorten, curtail, abridge, abbreviate, take in, reduce, compress, epitomize, retrench, cut short, obtruncate, scrimp, cut, chop up, hack, hew, cut down, pare down, clip, dock, lop, prune,
shear, shave, mow, reap, crop, snub, truncate, pollard, stunt, nip, check the growth of, foreshorten (in drawing).