Definition of RIVE

Choose the Right Synonym for rive

tear, rip, rend, split, cleave, rive mean to separate forcibly. tear implies pulling apart by force and leaving jagged edges. tear up the letter rip implies a pulling apart in one rapid uninterrupted motion often along a line or joint. ripped the shirt on a nail rend implies very violent or ruthless severing or sundering. an angry mob rent the prisoner's clothes 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 cleave implies very forceful splitting or cutting with a blow. a bolt of lightning cleaved the giant oak rive occurs most often in figurative use. a political party riven by conflict

Examples of rive in a Sentence

road pavement that had been riven by the annual freeze-and-thaw cycle the bitter disappointment threatened to rive my heart in two

Recent Examples on the Web But that does not mean the country’s space corporation, Roscosmos, is not riven with corruption. — Eric Berger, Ars Technica, "A big salary, luxury cars, and a new dacha—Russia’s space leader lives large," 3 Dec. 2019 But that liberalism turned out to be riven with internal contradictions. — John Fabian Witt, The New Republic, "The Shrinking Legacy of a Supreme Court Justice," 1 Oct. 2019 Anti-government demonstrations have riven Hong Kong for almost six months, having started in June as a series of protests triggered by an extradition bill that was later withdrawn. — Alex Johnson, NBC News, "Hong Kong police shoot, critically wound protester," 11 Nov. 2019 The Chicago factory, fined twice in the last two decades by federal workplace-harassment regulators, is riven with dissension that’s hampering productivity and quality, according to people familiar with the situation. — Keith Naughton, Los Angeles Times, "Ford botches launch of Explorer SUV, putting its CEO back in the hot seat," 22 Oct. 2019 Congo won its freedom from Belgium in 1960 and the Swedish diplomat was flying into a war zone infested with mercenaries and riven by Cold War tensions. — San Diego Union-Tribune, "UN: More needed from UK, US and others on Hammarskjold crash," 7 Oct. 2019 Equally nice, pleasant Belgium is perennially riven between its French-speaking and Dutch-speaking regions. — Rich Lowry, National Review, "Yes, the English Language Is Important," 10 Nov. 2019 Beijing has held up Macao, a gambling hub that has not been riven by protests, as an exemplary region. — Washington Post, "China’s ominous warning to Hong Kong: Less tolerance, more patriotic education," 1 Nov. 2019 Lam had announced earlier that the government would create a platform for dialogue in a bid to end the protests demanding democracy that have riven Hong Kong all summer with no resolution in sight. — San Diego Union-Tribune, "China attacks Pelosi for meeting Hong Kong activists," 19 Sep. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'rive.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.