rive

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as in to rip
to cause (something) to separate into jagged pieces by violently pulling at it the bitter disappointment threatened to rive my heart in two

Synonyms & Similar Words

Synonym Chooser

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

Some common synonyms of rive are cleave, rend, rip, split, and tear. While all these words mean "to separate forcibly," rive occurs most often in figurative use.

a political party riven by conflict

In what contexts can cleave take the place of rive?

The words cleave and rive are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, cleave implies very forceful splitting or cutting with a blow.

a bolt of lightning cleaved the giant oak

When would rend be a good substitute for rive?

The words rend and rive can be used in similar contexts, but rend implies very violent or ruthless severing or sundering.

an angry mob rent the prisoner's clothes

Where would rip be a reasonable alternative to rive?

While the synonyms rip and rive are close in meaning, rip implies a pulling apart in one rapid uninterrupted motion often along a line or joint.

ripped the shirt on a nail

When is it sensible to use split instead of rive?

The meanings of split and rive largely overlap; however, 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

When might tear be a better fit than rive?

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

tear up the letter

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of rive In a country riven by deep inequalities, however, opportunity for some came at a loss for others. Literary Hub, 29 Sep. 2025 The result, according to experts, are many city governments riven by workplace tension. Michael Slaten, Oc Register, 14 Sep. 2025 Written in the flush of a new friendship with co-producer, engineer, and musician Sam Weber, the album unspools a suite of folk miniatures riven with discursive melodies as evocative as the cultural ephemera dotted through the lyrics. Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 29 Aug. 2025 The House’s action was riven with partisanship. Kevin R. Kosar, The Washington Examiner, 22 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for rive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rive
Verb
  • But the science shows exercising late at night, just before bed can disrupt sleep.
    Allison Aubrey, NPR, 3 Nov. 2025
  • China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Air Force and Navy both operate advanced jamming aircraft, such as the J-16D, equipped with pods that can disrupt radar, GPS, and datalinks across wide areas.
    Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 3 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • Dowdle ripped through those averages by himself, while Hubbard chipped in 17 rushing yards on five carries.
    Mike Kaye, Charlotte Observer, 2 Nov. 2025
  • Antetokounmpo grabbed the offensive rebound, but LaVine ripped the ball out of his hands before Antetokounmpo could go up for a putback basket that would have tied the game.
    Jason Anderson, Sacbee.com, 2 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • His most recent stop before Arkansas was in Baltimore, Maryland, as a night and breaking news editor.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 3 Nov. 2025
  • With eight catches for 129 yards, the third-year player remains on pace to break the NFL’s single-season record for receiving yards (1,964 by Calvin Johnson in 2012).
    The Athletic NFL Staff, New York Times, 3 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • Nineteen people are confirmed dead in Jamaica after Hurricane Melissa tore through the island as a Category 5 hurricane this week -- and that death toll is expected to rise, officials said.
    Emily Shapiro, ABC News, 31 Oct. 2025
  • Hurricane Melissa tore through the Caribbean in recent days, leaving a wake of destruction as some of the region’s poorest countries struggled to cope with the storm.
    Jeronimo Gonzalez, semafor.com, 31 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Skattebo dislocated his ankle, fractured his fibula and ruptured his deltoid ligament on the play in question, all of which will combine to sideline him for the remainder of the regular season.
    Max Dible, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Oct. 2025
  • His work weaves together science, ancient training and healing systems, and the fighting arts to examine how systems — whether human bodies or family enterprises — fracture under pressure or transform because of it.
    Big Think, Big Think, 29 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • It’s hushed, melancholy and rending in all the best ways.
    John Wenzel, Denver Post, 16 July 2025
  • Dallas keeps bringing up last year’s six-game win over Colorado in an apparent effort to buck up themselves and their despondent fans, who are rending their garments over a meaningless seven-game losing streak to end the season.
    Mark Lazerus, New York Times, 20 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Perhaps even the idea of an upscale magazine in the mold of Vanity Fair is simply less meaningful in a contemporary media landscape where celebrities constantly churn out their own content and popular culture is fragmented across a landscape of mid-sized creators.
    Max Tani, semafor.com, 3 Nov. 2025
  • With opposition parties fragmented and public opinion largely favoring peace and progress, CCM’s victory in 2025 appears real.
    Danish Manzoor Bhat, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Rive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rive. Accessed 4 Nov. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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