as in tearing
to cause (something) to separate into jagged pieces by violently pulling at it
the prophecy that the disaster would cause people to rend their garments in mourning
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of rending
The German priest’s criticisms of the Catholic Church sparked the Protestant Reformation, rending Christianity in two.
—
Michael Bruening,
The Conversation,
30 June 2026
The excellent Julian Quinones’ early goal settled any nerves and then came the emotive, heart-rending second from talisman Raul Jimenez in the second half.
—
Tim Spiers,
New York Times,
17 June 2026
Our mopey heroine is Percy Fraser (Sadie Soverall), a 28-year-old obituary writer who grew up spending summers lakeside in a small Canadian town but hasn’t been back since her world-rending split with Sam Florek (Matt Cornett), the boy next door.
—
Angie Han,
HollywoodReporter,
9 June 2026
By that point however, Reeves says Smith’s vice had become truly life-rending.
—
Jonathan Rowe,
SPIN,
1 June 2026
More notable still, perhaps, is the fact that calling for the release of the Epstein files has seemed to cut across the myriad divisions rending the Democratic Party.
—
Jon Allsop,
New Yorker,
24 Apr. 2026
Guthrie’s willingness to take part in an interview with a visibly emotional Kotb was heart-rending.
—
Brian Steinberg,
Variety,
3 Apr. 2026
The emotional tribute paid homage to some of the most heart-rending high-profile deaths of the past year, including Diane Keaton, Robert Redford, and Rob Reiner, each of whom received their own dedicated homage.
—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
16 Mar. 2026
The sagas of Icelanders—plotty, laconic, often heart-rending—constitute one of the oldest literatures in any language still commonly spoken.
—
Literary Hub,
11 Feb. 2026
Michael Bruening,
The Conversation,
30 June 2026
The excellent Julian Quinones’ early goal settled any nerves and then came the emotive, heart-rending second from talisman Raul Jimenez in the second half.
—
Tim Spiers,
New York Times,
17 June 2026
Our mopey heroine is Percy Fraser (Sadie Soverall), a 28-year-old obituary writer who grew up spending summers lakeside in a small Canadian town but hasn’t been back since her world-rending split with Sam Florek (Matt Cornett), the boy next door.
—
Angie Han,
HollywoodReporter,
9 June 2026
By that point however, Reeves says Smith’s vice had become truly life-rending.
—
Jonathan Rowe,
SPIN,
1 June 2026
More notable still, perhaps, is the fact that calling for the release of the Epstein files has seemed to cut across the myriad divisions rending the Democratic Party.
—
Jon Allsop,
New Yorker,
24 Apr. 2026
Guthrie’s willingness to take part in an interview with a visibly emotional Kotb was heart-rending.
—
Brian Steinberg,
Variety,
3 Apr. 2026
The emotional tribute paid homage to some of the most heart-rending high-profile deaths of the past year, including Diane Keaton, Robert Redford, and Rob Reiner, each of whom received their own dedicated homage.
—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
16 Mar. 2026
The sagas of Icelanders—plotty, laconic, often heart-rending—constitute one of the oldest literatures in any language still commonly spoken.
—
Literary Hub,
11 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rending
Verb
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Rats, cockroaches and weasels run amok, tearing through limp tent sheets and biting children and newborn babies in their sleep.
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That conversation completely shifted Taylor’s perspective, inspiring her to see the home's original features as something worth building around, instead of tearing out.
Verb
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The game was mostly notable for its physicality as referee Wilton Pereira Sampaio allowed both teams to batter each other, with blood flowing and shirts ripping.
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On Thursday morning, one of the two landlord representatives, Christina Smyth, resigned, ripping the rent freeze as a predetermined conclusion the board had worked to justify.
Cite this Entry
“Rending.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rending. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.
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