pruning

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Instead the final four candidates for the job were a range of eager submissives, each straining to appear enthusiastic to pick up the pruning shears and start cutting rates by the bunch:

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 2, 2026

This idea led to the widely accepted theory that excessive "synaptic pruning," the process of removing weak or unused connections, could contribute to neuropsychiatric conditions.

From Science Daily • Jan. 16, 2026

Companies are pruning underperforming legacy brands and doubling down on faster-growing categories.

From Barron's • Dec. 28, 2025

However, the chancellor suggested a loss of 10,000 roles, which is only a pruning of a workforce of over half a million - especially as it sees 30-40,000 leavers every year.

From BBC • Mar. 24, 2025

We need our limbs trimmed just the way you need to cut your fingernails and hair, although for us it’s only once or twice a year, and it’s called pruning.

From "Wishtree" by Katherine Applegate