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to sheer

to sheer

1 7.8
Turn away suddenly to avoid something
  • verb
  • /ʃɪr/
translation icon : girar bruscamente
  • Several buffalo sheered off from the main herd and, led by a monstrous bull, charged straight for Morgan.
  • sheer away

Examples

  • They, she and Red Murdock, had seemed to sheer off from each other that evening, and maybe they both realized at a certain point that what they needed was to be alone, that they had nothing at that moment to offer each other, and by then he was not talking at all.

    Fiction book (1997)
  • I know that if I get them in the ground, sheer them back this next spring, they'll come back and they'll be beautiful.

  • Now letting it come up there and just lightly sheer out.

  • You're not going to sheer as I thought, just a little bit.

  • This lipstick is insanely pigmented, and you can sheer it out for a light stain or pack it on for rich color.

    Blog text (33)
  • So I'm going to dip my blush brush into this and kind of sheer it out on my hand and then we'll go in with this on the cheeks.

  • This one had been built on a ledge just below the side of the road that sheered off into the darkness, so that only its thatched roof and the upper portion of the mud wall were visible from where she stood beside the car.

    Fiction book (1991)
  • To avoid the obstacle, the driver had to sheer sharply to the left.

  • The bird had to sheer off quickly to avoid the incoming storm.

  • In a moment of panic, the boat sheered away from the rocky shore.

Synonyms

to cut
vsto sheer
  • Informal
343 2.8

To move quickly in a new direction, often to take a shortcut

is a quick avoidance turn rather than moving straight through
to veer
vsto sheer
63 4.2

To change direction suddenly

is a sudden turn aimed at avoiding something
to swerve
vsto sheer
61 2.8

To turn suddenly to avoid hitting something

is identical in meaning and given as the main entry for this action
to slew
vsto sheer
15 7.6

To slide or turn sideways suddenly, often out of control

is a sudden avoidance turn that usually implies intentional control
to yaw
vsto sheer
  • Specialized
3 8.9

To move side to side and push a ship or plane off course

is a sudden turn used to avoid something in general situations

Antonyms

1.0

To keep doing something without stopping

Compounds

Partly transparent fabric that lets some light through while giving some privacy

How Abrupt

to sheer
1 7.8
to veer
63 4.2
to drift
331 2.9

Surface Forms

sheer infinitive
sheered past
sheered past participle
sheering present participle
sheers third person singular

Etymology

Sheer: The verb sheer meaning 'to turn or swerve suddenly' is like the idea of something cutting away to the side; think of a boat that 'sheers' off as if it is shearing away, and shear means 'to cut', which makes the sudden turn easy to imagine.