as in ripping
to cause (something) to separate into jagged pieces by violently pulling at it
shredded some cooked chicken for the soup
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Recent Examples of shredding
Sugar became a familiar sight in the surf over the last 16 years, a small white pup who was often shredding at the Huntington Beach Pier among the locals.
—
Laylan Connelly, Oc Register, 30 Mar. 2026
Even factory resets may leave traces of data, so some recyclers will go as far as shredding a device's hard drive — and verify it's been destroyed.
—ABC News, 24 Mar. 2026
Tonight, the spider will continue its lattice; tonight, the crystals will sprout spines, shredding my soft tissues.
—Jan Steyn, The Dial, 10 Mar. 2026
Prepare this dish by shredding the chicken and chopping the carrots and leeks up to two days in advance.
—Kimberly Holland, Southern Living, 1 Mar. 2026
In the right hands, even the humblest city EV can become an unhinged, albeit highly entertaining, tire-shredding science experiment.
—Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 22 Feb. 2026
The mechanical process involves reclaiming and shredding pre-consumer footwear uppers in a closed-loop method to create ThermoPlume PrimaLoft ReRun material.
—Jennifer Bringle, Sourcing Journal, 9 Feb. 2026
Schools now can rethink their football status, which could mean shredding those schedules.
—Buddy Collings, The Orlando Sentinel, 6 Feb. 2026
Right now your cat is probably shredding your bedspread in a ravenous rage.
—Molly Aitken, New Yorker, 1 Feb. 2026
Laylan Connelly, Oc Register, 30 Mar. 2026
Even factory resets may leave traces of data, so some recyclers will go as far as shredding a device's hard drive — and verify it's been destroyed.
—ABC News, 24 Mar. 2026
Tonight, the spider will continue its lattice; tonight, the crystals will sprout spines, shredding my soft tissues.
—Jan Steyn, The Dial, 10 Mar. 2026
Prepare this dish by shredding the chicken and chopping the carrots and leeks up to two days in advance.
—Kimberly Holland, Southern Living, 1 Mar. 2026
In the right hands, even the humblest city EV can become an unhinged, albeit highly entertaining, tire-shredding science experiment.
—Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 22 Feb. 2026
The mechanical process involves reclaiming and shredding pre-consumer footwear uppers in a closed-loop method to create ThermoPlume PrimaLoft ReRun material.
—Jennifer Bringle, Sourcing Journal, 9 Feb. 2026
Schools now can rethink their football status, which could mean shredding those schedules.
—Buddy Collings, The Orlando Sentinel, 6 Feb. 2026
Right now your cat is probably shredding your bedspread in a ravenous rage.
—Molly Aitken, New Yorker, 1 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shredding
Verb
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One rabid mongoose bite later, and Ben is a skull-crushing, face-ripping menace terrorizing Lucy and her friends.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
31 Mar. 2026
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Workers began ripping out the 9-year-old artificial turf at Soldier Field.—
Kori Rumore,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Carefully peel away parchment from bottom of cake (start from a long side where it might be embedded in the cake and pull gently to avoid tearing the cake); discard.—
Shilpa Uskokovic,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
1 Apr. 2026
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Trump posted footage of the strike on Truth Social, in an uncaptioned video that shows explosions tearing through the night sky.—
Brendan Cole,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Shredding.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shredding. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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