as in shaved
to make (something) shorter or smaller with the use of a cutting instrument
pruned the dead branches from the old apple tree
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in trimmed
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Recent Examples of pruned
Jeanette Marantos, Los Angeles Times, 2 Jan. 2025
Prune As Needed Some vegetables won’t need to be pruned at all in indoor setups.
—Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 18 Dec. 2024
However, if they are not pruned or cut back, at some point, the branches will begin to become a mess of last year's wood and this year's wood.
—Heather Bien, Southern Living, 15 Dec. 2024
Gardenias are evergreen and should not be pruned in winter.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 14 Dec. 2024
Crape myrtles don't need to be pruned every year.
—Leanne Potts, Better Homes & Gardens, 11 Dec. 2024
With their large leaves, hollies look best when they are pruned rather than sheared.
—Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 11 Dec. 2024
Because the buds are not present during the winter months, these plants can be pruned in late winter or early spring, before new growth begins.
—Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 8 Dec. 2024
Here are 10 popular types of garden plants that are best pruned in wintertime.
—Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 5 Dec. 2024
Adjective
Several botanic gardens, such as South Coast Botanic Gardens in Rolling Hills Estates and the Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens in San Marino, have tulip and bulb gardens — the Huntington plants them in its famous rose garden to create filler color after the roses are pruned.
—Jeanette Marantos, Los Angeles Times, 2 Jan. 2025
Prune As Needed Some vegetables won’t need to be pruned at all in indoor setups.
—Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 18 Dec. 2024
However, if they are not pruned or cut back, at some point, the branches will begin to become a mess of last year's wood and this year's wood.
—Heather Bien, Southern Living, 15 Dec. 2024
Gardenias are evergreen and should not be pruned in winter.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 14 Dec. 2024
Crape myrtles don't need to be pruned every year.
—Leanne Potts, Better Homes & Gardens, 11 Dec. 2024
With their large leaves, hollies look best when they are pruned rather than sheared.
—Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 11 Dec. 2024
Because the buds are not present during the winter months, these plants can be pruned in late winter or early spring, before new growth begins.
—Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 8 Dec. 2024
Here are 10 popular types of garden plants that are best pruned in wintertime.
—Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 5 Dec. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pruned
Verb
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The stairs are lined with a cognac-colored carpet, trimmed in nautical rope.—
Annabelle Dufraigne,
Architectural Digest,
31 Dec. 2024
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But over time, the big airlines trimmed service at smaller airports.—
Niraj Chokshi,
New York Times,
25 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Both headphones are astonishingly quiet, virtually eliminating lower drone sounds, cutting higher frequency noises like key clicks, and even erasing piercing sounds like dogs barking with a bit of music.—
Ryan Waniata,
Wired News,
9 July 2025
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To pay for these initiatives, the law cuts Medicaid and food stamps — programs relied upon by poor households with children — by more than $1 trillion.—
MORIAH BALINGIT,
Chicago Tribune,
9 July 2025
Verb
-
The net simply gets clipped onto the detector as needed.—
Ben Coxworth,
New Atlas,
30 Dec. 2024
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The car moved across multiple lanes, clipped another vehicle, struck the outer retention wall then careened back across all lanes of traffic.—
Hope Karnopp,
Journal Sentinel,
15 Dec. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Pruned.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://x0upouf933.proxynodejs.usequeue.com/thesaurus/pruned. Accessed 12 Jul. 2025.
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