as in shaving
to make (something) shorter or smaller with the use of a cutting instrument
the hair stylist started by lopping off several inches from her long tresses, before beginning to shape what was left
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lopping (off)
Verb
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Boston College men's basketball point-shaving scandal One of the clearest examples of La Cosa Nostra's reach in sports was the 1978-79 scandal involving Boston College and two associates of the Lucchese crime family.—
Paulina Dedaj,
FOXNews.com,
24 Oct. 2025 -
Access to Chatswood has just been made easier by the 60 billion Australian dollar, or $39 billion, Sydney Metro project, with the new Chatswood to Sydenham line opening a year ago, making the trip between Sydney’s CBD and Chatswood now just 11 minutes, shaving almost two thirds off the road trip.—
Patty Huntington,
Footwear News,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Walz drew a surge of media attention and prompted popular X posts on the campaign trail for cutting a rootsy profile like her father.—
Jay Stahl,
USA Today,
25 Oct. 2025
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In cutting those moments, Baxter used the score to track the temperature of his edit, especially as the second chapter begins.—
Jazz Tangcay,
Variety,
25 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Thin out old growth by cutting back one-third of the older, thicker gray canes to the ground.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
26 Oct. 2025
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Experts also say the benefits of India cutting back on Russian oil purchases outweigh the downsides.—
Priyanka Salve,
CNBC,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Adams’ Exit Narrows the Field After Mayor Eric Adams dropped out of the race, much of his support appeared to transfer to Cuomo, trimming Mamdani’s lead.—
Martha McHardy,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Oct. 2025
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After trimming a 17-point third quarter deficit to 12 to start the fourth quarter, Kerr sent the starters back out to begin the fourth quarter.—
Joseph Dycus,
Mercury News,
25 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Next to a wooden model of an ibis and a Brazil shirt signed by 1994 World Cup winner Ricardo Rocha is a small newspaper clipping.—
Jack Lang,
New York Times,
11 Oct. 2025
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Tie branches with twine and add evergreen tassels, then insert photos in the branches, clipping them on, if needed, to hold in place.—
Emily Williams,
Better Homes & Gardens,
7 Oct. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Lopping (off).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lopping%20%28off%29. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.
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