Pare
verb
To cut away the outer layer or to remove extra parts from something, often with a knife.
He carefully pared the apple peel with a sharp knife.
Often appears as...
- pare down
- pare away
verb
To reduce or lessen something, particularly expenses or amounts.
The company needed to pare down its expenses to survive the economic downturn.
Often appears as...
- pare down costs
- pare back
verb
To cut away the outer layer or to remove extra parts from something, often with a knife.
He carefully pared the apple peel with a sharp knife.
Often appears as...
- pare down
- pare away
verb
To reduce or lessen something, particularly expenses or amounts.
The company needed to pare down its expenses to survive the economic downturn.
Often appears as...
- pare down costs
- pare back
Definition 1 of 2
Pro Tip 1/3Literal action
Means removing parts with a tool, maintaining the object's integrity, usually done with precision.
She pared her fingernails with a small clipper.
Pro Tip 2/3Not only food
Though often used for food, 'pare' applies to any item needing a reduction of parts.
The sculptor pared away bits of wood to reveal the statue.
Pro Tip 3/3Gentle removal
Suggests a careful, often delicate process, not a harsh or damaging one.
She pared the old wallpaper from the wall with care.
Pro Tip 1/3Literal action
Means removing parts with a tool, maintaining the object's integrity, usually done with precision.
She pared her fingernails with a small clipper.
Pro Tip 2/3Not only food
Though often used for food, 'pare' applies to any item needing a reduction of parts.
The sculptor pared away bits of wood to reveal the statue.
Pro Tip 3/3Gentle removal
Suggests a careful, often delicate process, not a harsh or damaging one.
She pared the old wallpaper from the wall with care.
Pro Tip 1/3Literal action
Means removing parts with a tool, maintaining the object's integrity, usually done with precision.
She pared her fingernails with a small clipper.
Pro Tip 2/3Not only food
Though often used for food, 'pare' applies to any item needing a reduction of parts.
The sculptor pared away bits of wood to reveal the statue.
Pro Tip 3/3Gentle removal
Suggests a careful, often delicate process, not a harsh or damaging one.
She pared the old wallpaper from the wall with care.
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Video examples
The First Militaristic...
PRESIDENT And after we'll pare down trade barriers between our three nations, it will create the world's largest trade zone. Today we have the chance to do what our parents did before us. We have the opportunity to remake the world.
Video examples
Craig Venter: On the...
So, we've always been trying to ask big questions. "What is life?" is something that I think many biologists have been trying to understand at various levels. We've tried various approaches, paring it down to minimal components.
Video examples
The First Militaristic...
PRESIDENT And after we'll pare down trade barriers between our three nations, it will create the world's largest trade zone. Today we have the chance to do what our parents did before us. We have the opportunity to remake the world.
Video examples
Craig Venter: On the...
So, we've always been trying to ask big questions. "What is life?" is something that I think many biologists have been trying to understand at various levels. We've tried various approaches, paring it down to minimal components.
Example 1 of 2
Quote examples
Sally Rooney
Irish Author
I try to keep my sentences quite pared back. What I really want to do is observe people's relationships and interactions. I don't want language to get in the way of that. It's quite a difficult process to achieve that, for the language to feel clear.
Quote examples
Liz Phair
American Musician
Composing gives me a chance to work in multiple dimensions and helps me pare down my melodies into what is essential. Learning new skills has always energized me and scoring has opened up a world of sonic possibilities.
Quote examples
Geoffrey Ward
American Historian
Books provide context and allow you to think about things over time. Film is like writing haiku; there is an immense amount of pleasure in paring down and paring down. But it isn't the same.
Quote examples
Kurt Loder
American Journalist
Rewriting is a large part of the whole job. And get rid of stuff that's not working. Just pare it down until it's a beautiful thing you can hand in, probably late, to your editor.
Quote examples
James Joyce
Irish Novelist
The artist, like the God of the creation, remains within or behind or beyond or above his handiwork, invisible, refined out of existence, indifferent, paring his fingernails.
Quote examples
Michael Shanks
Canadian Actor
It was nice, though, to have the long term benefit to be able to pare away those things and eventually make the character my own and put my own unique stamp.
Quote examples
Rebecca Harding Davis
American Author
You will find the poet who wrings the heart of the world, or the foremost captain of his time, driving a bargain or paring a potato, just as you would do.
Quote examples
Katherine Heigl
American Actress
I'm really proud of myself because I've pared my beauty regimen down to a cream blush and berry-tinted lip balm, which has saved me so much time.
Quote examples
Joan Collins
American Actress
So-called designer bags are useless, and most are also ugly, faddish and overpriced. Pared down and sleek is always best.
Quote examples
Nate Berkus
American Designer
I'm interested in fashion; I buy fairly good pieces, and I think as I've gotten older, I've pared down a lot.
Quote examples
Sally Rooney
Irish Author
I try to keep my sentences quite pared back. What I really want to do is observe people's relationships and interactions. I don't want language to get in the way of that. It's quite a difficult process to achieve that, for the language to feel clear.
Quote examples
Liz Phair
American Musician
Composing gives me a chance to work in multiple dimensions and helps me pare down my melodies into what is essential. Learning new skills has always energized me and scoring has opened up a world of sonic possibilities.
Quote examples
Geoffrey Ward
American Historian
Books provide context and allow you to think about things over time. Film is like writing haiku; there is an immense amount of pleasure in paring down and paring down. But it isn't the same.
Quote examples
Kurt Loder
American Journalist
Rewriting is a large part of the whole job. And get rid of stuff that's not working. Just pare it down until it's a beautiful thing you can hand in, probably late, to your editor.
Quote examples
James Joyce
Irish Novelist
The artist, like the God of the creation, remains within or behind or beyond or above his handiwork, invisible, refined out of existence, indifferent, paring his fingernails.
Quote examples
Michael Shanks
Canadian Actor
It was nice, though, to have the long term benefit to be able to pare away those things and eventually make the character my own and put my own unique stamp.
Quote examples
Rebecca Harding Davis
American Author
You will find the poet who wrings the heart of the world, or the foremost captain of his time, driving a bargain or paring a potato, just as you would do.
Quote examples
Katherine Heigl
American Actress
I'm really proud of myself because I've pared my beauty regimen down to a cream blush and berry-tinted lip balm, which has saved me so much time.
Quote examples
Joan Collins
American Actress
So-called designer bags are useless, and most are also ugly, faddish and overpriced. Pared down and sleek is always best.
Quote examples
Nate Berkus
American Designer
I'm interested in fashion; I buy fairly good pieces, and I think as I've gotten older, I've pared down a lot.
Example 1 of 10
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