shed 1 of 2

verb

ˈshed How to pronounce shed (audio)
Definition of shednext
1
as in to peel
to cast (a natural bodily covering or appendage) aside a snake's skin doesn't grow as the snake does, so every so often the snake will shed its old skin

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in to unload
to get rid of as useless or unwanted you need to shed your old notions of propriety and have some fun for a change

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

shed

2 of 2

noun

as in hut

Synonyms & Similar Words

Synonym Chooser

How is the word shed different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of shed are cast, discard, junk, scrap, and slough. While all these words mean "to get rid of," shed and slough imply a throwing off of something both useless and encumbering and often suggest a consequent renewal of vitality or luster.

shed a bad habit
finally sloughed off the depression

When would cast be a good substitute for shed?

Although the words cast and shed have much in common, cast, especially when used with off, away, or out, implies a forceful rejection or repudiation.

cast off her friends

When is it sensible to use discard instead of shed?

While the synonyms discard and shed are close in meaning, discard implies the letting go or throwing away of something that has become useless or superfluous though often not intrinsically valueless.

discard old clothes

How do scrap and junk relate to one another, in the sense of shed?

Both scrap and junk imply throwing away or breaking up as worthless in existent form.

scrap all the old ways
would junk our educational system

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 shed
Verb
At the start of the TVLine video Q&A above (and below), series lead and co-creator Max Thieriot sheds some insight on his character’s questionable side hustle. —Matt Webb Mitovich, TVLine, 4 Apr. 2025 Microsoft — Shares shed 2.4% after Bloomberg, citing people familiar with the matter, reported that the company is scaling back its data center projects around the world. —Sean Conlon, CNBC, 3 Apr. 2025
Noun
In June, Steve Ruffner watched a demonstration where two sheds were set on fire. —Elizabeth Weise, USA Today, 1 Apr. 2025 Tornado season arrived like clockwork this year, with high winds blowing through the south and southwest suburbs March 19, tearing the roof off a building, picking up a metal shed and throwing trees to the ground. —Chicago Tribune, 31 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for shed
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shed
  1. peel
  2. unload
  3. hut
  4. ditch
  5. dump
  6. shack
  7. discard
  8. lose
Verb
  • Keep your eyes peeled for that unexpected windfall, whether intellectually or financially.
    — Valerie Mesa, People.com, 27 Jan. 2025
  • Wooden fences sagged and split, their paint faded and peeling.
    — Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 27 Jan. 2025
Definition of peel
Verb
  • Shipping containers on the MSC Livorno await unloading at the Port of Long Beach, California on March 5, 2025, one day after US President Donald Trump.
    — Lori Ann LaRocco, CNBC, 9 Apr. 2025
  • Another 45 minutes later, boxes of staples, MREs, and cases of water were being unloaded and distributed to the community, which had gone without these essentials for eight days.
    — John W. Dean, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Apr. 2025
Definition of unload
Noun
  • While there was a higher body count in Taormina and Thailand, in terms of work culture Maui seems to be the most loosey-goosey of the resort locations with the staff going down K-holes and sleeping with guests in beachside huts.
    — Eddie Mouradian, Vulture, 7 Apr. 2025
  • They are thought to live in three groups in both large communal huts and more informal shelters on the beach.
    — Esha Mitra, CNN Money, 4 Apr. 2025
Definition of hut
Verb
  • Trump says Iran must ditch ‘concept of a nuclear weapon’ President Donald Trump on Monday once again reiterated that Iran must abandon any hope of obtaining a nuclear weapon as the U.S. prepares for more talks in less than a week.
    — Caitlin McFall, FOXNews.com, 14 Apr. 2025
  • Trump should ditch the tariffs, do some damage control with allies and reassert America as the center of global free trade.
    — Matt Fleming, Oc Register, 11 Apr. 2025
Definition of ditch
Verb
  • As the upper stage continues towards space, the lower stage falls, spiraling back to Earth, dumping what remains of its fuel.
    — Michael Dorgan, Fox News, 25 Mar. 2025
  • On March 18, a golden retriever was found dumped in a garbage can behind a former supermarket building on Silver Lane, according to animal control.
    — Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 24 Mar. 2025
Definition of dump
Noun
  • There’s this little shack down near my place in Mexico.
    — Devon Ivie, Vulture, 11 Apr. 2025
  • At the Flora-Bama, everybody’s welcome, and for many folks, their first pilgrimage to this sprawling shack on the beach begets a second one—and maybe a hundred more after that.
    — Lisa Cericola, Southern Living, 29 Mar. 2025
Definition of shack
Verb
  • The patients alleged the company didn’t disclose the risk of false positives in genetic testing on embryos, which led them to discard potentially viable embryos.
    — Hilary Whiteman, CNN Money, 11 Apr. 2025
  • Transfer carrot mixture to a platter using a slotted spoon; discard thyme sprigs.
    — Southern Living Test Kitchen, Southern Living, 10 Apr. 2025
Definition of discard
Verb
  • More than 400,000 customers lost power Monday morning, CNN said, with the majority of outages concentrated in Michigan.
    — Ron Estes, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2025
  • The Kings have lost two in a row, dropping them to 40-23-9 on the season.
    — Ron Estes, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2025
Definition of lose

Browse Nearby Words

sheaves
shed
shedding
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Shed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shed. Accessed 18 Apr. 2025.

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