as in to tear
to cause (something) to separate into jagged pieces by violently pulling at it
the little boy tattered that blanket beyond repair by repeatedly yanking on it
Synonyms & Similar Words
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as in shred
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Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of tatter
Kevin Barry, Harper's Magazine, 2 July 2024
Smith’s office is now consigned to assess the tatters in which the court’s ruling has left its prosecution and determine, like a homeowner after a tornado has touched down, what can be salvaged.
—Ruth Marcus, Washington Post, 1 July 2024
Nathan Taylor Pemberton, New York Times, 20 Jan. 2020
So where did Ransom’s tattered cozy knit end up after filming wrapped?
—Ale Russian, PEOPLE.com, 26 Dec. 2019
See All Example Sentences for tatter
Verb
Rourke himself approached the street at this hour in suave array and manic tatters.
—Kevin Barry, Harper's Magazine, 2 July 2024
Smith’s office is now consigned to assess the tatters in which the court’s ruling has left its prosecution and determine, like a homeowner after a tornado has touched down, what can be salvaged.
—Ruth Marcus, Washington Post, 1 July 2024
Noun
Coming down that highway, one’s arrival was confirmed by a row of flag poles holding international flags, tattered and generally ignored.
—Nathan Taylor Pemberton, New York Times, 20 Jan. 2020
So where did Ransom’s tattered cozy knit end up after filming wrapped?
—Ale Russian, PEOPLE.com, 26 Dec. 2019
See All Example Sentences for tatter
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tatter
Verb
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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
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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
Noun
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The shred of good news is that this might finally get Kate into the White House, since Grace Penn (Allison Janney) is looking for a VP.—
Katie Campione,
Deadline,
27 Oct. 2025
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Walston ripped up the card and let the shreds fall on Penn.—
Cameron Crowe,
HollywoodReporter,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Congressional Democrats have been eagerly drawing that contrast in recent days, ripping Trump for going abroad amid a crisis at home.—
Zachary Schermele,
USA Today,
26 Oct. 2025
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Heard blitzed off the edge and arrived at running back Jamal Roberts at the same time as the ball, ripping it away for a turnover at midfield that led to the game-winning drive, capped by Pavia’s short touchdown run.—
Ralph D. Russo,
New York Times,
26 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Worse, the aluminum has a tendency to throw off fragments when struck, producing more debris, which is rather counterproductive.—
David Szondy
October 26,
New Atlas,
26 Oct. 2025
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To find out if typhus was the sole culprit for the demise of soldiers, the authors of the new study used a method known as high-throughput sequencing, which can sequence millions of DNA fragments at a time.—
Taylor Nicioli,
CNN Money,
24 Oct. 2025
Noun
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In remembrance, Collins carved a sliver of the Jackson pediment into tiny rose petals and scattered them around the remnant.—
Julian Lucas,
New Yorker,
24 Oct. 2025
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By developing a new theoretical relation describing just how compact neutron stars — which are the remnants of massive stars that have gone supernova — can get, researchers have found a way to test the properties of nuclear physics under very extreme conditions.—
Keith Cooper,
Space.com,
24 Oct. 2025
Noun
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But that direct support brought in via sponsorships is only a fraction of the billions that teams and leagues get because fans are betting on games.—
Chris Isidore,
CNN Money,
25 Oct. 2025
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Those fractions may look small, but ozone chemistry is anything but linear.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
25 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Use 4-inch round cookie cutters to cut out, rerolling scraps as needed.—
Jenavieve Christensen,
Better Homes & Gardens,
28 Oct. 2025
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Though not as violent as the Lions-Chiefs scuffle, the Buffalo Bills and Carolina Panthers had a postgame scrap of their own on Sunday after Buffalo’s dominant 40-9 Week 8 victory.—
Michael Gallagher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
26 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Even small pieces of space junk (for example, leftover or broken pieces from space launches or nonfunctioning satellites) can have catastrophic effects.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Oct. 2025
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Snag the piece in brown and brass or all black.—
Rachel Trujillo,
PEOPLE,
28 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Tatter.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tatter. Accessed 1 Nov. 2025.
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