as in rips
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
Relevance
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rends
Verb
-
Continue reading … ROBES RIVALRY — Liberal justice Elena Kagan rips colleague Jackson's dissent in rare public break.—
,
FOXNews.com,
1 Apr. 2026 -
Then a man comes in from behind and rips down their banner.—
MSNBC Newsweek,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
If the oyster tears slightly, don’t panic; flavor matters much more than perfection.—
Rai Mincey,
Southern Living,
10 Mar. 2026
-
His scientist creator, Victor Frankenstein, reluctantly agrees, but at the last moment tears the unfinished mate limb from limb as the creature watches on in horror.—
Leah Dolan,
CNN Money,
6 Mar. 2026
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Cite this Entry
“Rends.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rends. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
