as in tears
to cause (something) to separate into jagged pieces by violently pulling at it
over the years the historic flag had become badly ribboned by the wind
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of ribbons
Scott Hocker, TheWeek, 11 Feb. 2026
Apparently medals are falling off their ribbons left and right.
—Tyler Estep, AJC.com, 11 Feb. 2026
Pioneer Elastics, Ribest Ribbons and S&S Industries supply trims such as elastics, ribbons and bra underwires.
—Sj Studio, Sourcing Journal, 11 Feb. 2026
Your dinner-party guests will soon be pampered with all things angels, roses, and the sort of preppy-chic ribbons that not only grace the hair of Robbie’s character but have also been pivotal in her IRL press-tour ensembles as of late.
—Stacia Datskovska, Footwear News, 10 Feb. 2026
Meanwhile, dark red French tips are capped with clear ribbons of 3D builder gel for an eye-catching sculptural effect.
—Ariel Wodarcyk, InStyle, 10 Feb. 2026
Add big ribbons and bows to the backs of chairs for a little more vintage flair.
—Kylie Petty, Better Homes & Gardens, 8 Feb. 2026
Often, the trails are the only ribbons of snow in sight – a white strip surrounded by brown mud and dead grass.
—Agnes MacY, The Conversation, 5 Feb. 2026
As the continents sheared and twisted unevenly, local forces squeezed together thin ribbons of crust and popped them up like geological meerkats, isolating and slicing them off.
—Evan Howell, Scientific American, 4 Feb. 2026
Noun
Eggplant appears with linguine, tomato and almond pesto, or nestled with capers and golden raisins between ribbons of mafaldine.
—Scott Hocker, TheWeek, 11 Feb. 2026
Apparently medals are falling off their ribbons left and right.
—Tyler Estep, AJC.com, 11 Feb. 2026
Pioneer Elastics, Ribest Ribbons and S&S Industries supply trims such as elastics, ribbons and bra underwires.
—Sj Studio, Sourcing Journal, 11 Feb. 2026
Your dinner-party guests will soon be pampered with all things angels, roses, and the sort of preppy-chic ribbons that not only grace the hair of Robbie’s character but have also been pivotal in her IRL press-tour ensembles as of late.
—Stacia Datskovska, Footwear News, 10 Feb. 2026
Meanwhile, dark red French tips are capped with clear ribbons of 3D builder gel for an eye-catching sculptural effect.
—Ariel Wodarcyk, InStyle, 10 Feb. 2026
Add big ribbons and bows to the backs of chairs for a little more vintage flair.
—Kylie Petty, Better Homes & Gardens, 8 Feb. 2026
Often, the trails are the only ribbons of snow in sight – a white strip surrounded by brown mud and dead grass.
—Agnes MacY, The Conversation, 5 Feb. 2026
As the continents sheared and twisted unevenly, local forces squeezed together thin ribbons of crust and popped them up like geological meerkats, isolating and slicing them off.
—Evan Howell, Scientific American, 4 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ribbons
Noun
-
Reflector strips on his backpack catch a bit of ambient light, though the overhead porch light is off.—
Paige Williams,
New Yorker,
14 Feb. 2026
-
Some of her favorite dishes to prepare include the fish and shrimp combo, lobster tail and clam strips.—
Sean Krofssik,
Hartford Courant,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Under her watch, Americans have been murdered in cold blood, DHS has obstructed lawful congressional oversight, dismissed credible reports of abuse, carried out an extreme agenda that tears families apart and destabilizes communities.—
The Editorial Board,
Oc Register,
5 Feb. 2026
-
Catherine uplifted us in a world that often tears us down.—
Andrew Gelwicks,
Vogue,
3 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Seguin rips Burleson, remains fourth in 8-5A Zoderick Green paced Arlington Seguin with 17 points as the Cougars held on to fourth place in District 8-5A with a 69-42 win over Burleson.—
Darren Lauber,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
11 Feb. 2026
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There’s one unloved hotel and little else to see from Highway 31, the road that rips through town and runs far, far north, all the way to Lake Michigan.—
Rob Picheta,
CNN Money,
7 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The signal revealed to a team of scientists that LFBOTs are the result of extreme Tidal Disruption Events (TDEs), in which a black hole with a mass up to 100 times that of the sun, completely shreds a companion star in just a matter of days.—
Robert Lea,
Space.com,
19 Dec. 2025
-
Onions and carrots become sweet and soft, while the beef shreds easily into juicy pieces.—
Renu Dhar,
Southern Living,
24 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ribbons.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ribbons. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.
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