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
-
Anderson’s feat is overshadowed by Shaquille O’Neal, who rips down the backboard in the first quarter, delaying the game 45 minutes.—
Assistant Sports Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Apr. 2026 -
Continue reading … TICKING CLOCK — CNN host Michael Smerconish rips Democrats for hiding behind War Powers deadline.—
,
FOXNews.com,
20 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Drink, drugs and sometimes tears.—
Jessica Guynn,
USA Today,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Inheritance often tears families apart and much of that conflict is rooted in poor communication.—
R. Eric Thomas,
Mercury News,
24 Apr. 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 1 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
