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as in to tear
to cause (something) to separate into jagged pieces by violently pulling at it the dog ripped the sleeve of my shirt by grabbing it with his teeth

Synonyms & Similar Words

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rip

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noun (1)

rip

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noun (2)

Synonym Chooser

How is the word rip different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of rip are cleave, rend, rive, split, and tear. While all these words mean "to separate forcibly," rip implies a pulling apart in one rapid uninterrupted motion often along a line or joint.

ripped the shirt on a nail

When might cleave be a better fit than rip?

The synonyms cleave and rip are sometimes interchangeable, but cleave implies very forceful splitting or cutting with a blow.

a bolt of lightning cleaved the giant oak

When can rend be used instead of rip?

While the synonyms rend and rip are close in meaning, rend implies very violent or ruthless severing or sundering.

an angry mob rent the prisoner's clothes

When could rive be used to replace rip?

Although the words rive and rip have much in common, rive occurs most often in figurative use.

a political party riven by conflict

In what contexts can split take the place of rip?

While in some cases nearly identical to rip, split implies a cutting or breaking apart in a continuous, straight, and usually lengthwise direction or in the direction of grain or layers.

split logs for firewood

Where would tear be a reasonable alternative to rip?

In some situations, the words tear and rip are roughly equivalent. However, tear implies pulling apart by force and leaving jagged edges.

tear up the letter

Examples of rip in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
Correspondent Seth Doane talks with Russell about a show seemingly ripped from the headlines. David Morgan, CBS News, 18 Oct. 2024 Dave Bautista is ripping into Donald Trump's masculinity. Jen Juneau, People.com, 17 Oct. 2024
Noun
Also, removing mud or branches can ensure there are no rips or holes. Nafeesah Allen, Better Homes & Gardens, 27 July 2024 But skinny jeans with rips all the way down, absolutely not. Brittany Talarico, Peoplemag, 15 Aug. 2024 See all Example Sentences for rip 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'rip.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Thesaurus Entries Near rip

Cite this Entry

“Rip.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rip. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

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