shred
noun
especially Southern ˈsred\
Definition of shred
(Entry 1 of 2)
shred
verbDefinition of shred (Entry 2 of 2)
1 archaic : to cut off
2 : to cut or tear into shreds shredded the documents
3 : demolish sense 2 sharp lawyers shredding hapless witnesses— Charles Krauthammer
: to come apart in or break up into shreds
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Synonyms for shred
Synonyms: Noun
ace, bit, crumb, dab, dram, driblet, glimmer, hint, lick, little, mite, nip, ounce, particle, peanuts, ray, scintilla, scruple, shade, shadow, smack, smidgen (also smidgeon), snap, spark, spatter, speck, splash, spot, sprinkling, strain, streak, suspicion, tad, touch, trace
Synonyms: Verb
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Examples of shred in a Sentence
Noun
The wallpaper is in shreds. His reputation was in shreds after the arrest. He struggled to retain a shred of his dignity.Verb
Shred the cabbage and add it to the salad. shredded some cooked chicken for the soup
Recent Examples on the Web: Noun
Not a shred of evidence about Trump, Russia collusion. — Fox News, "Conway: Denuclearization of North Korea benefits the world," 12 June 2018 There’s not a shred of evidence that these laws work. — Katie Zezima, Washington Post, "Federal, state authorities step up fentanyl prosecutions as drug drives spike in overdoses," 7 June 2018 Legacy Records has taken this shred of history and turned it into a fantasy of black American music. — New York Times, "Legacy Records Looks for History in a Brand New Neighborhood," 19 June 2018 Even after Jakob Junis keyed a victory over the Yankees in what became yet another lost series, the Royals couldn’t grasp a single shred of momentum. — Maria Torres, kansascity, "Royals beat Cardinals in 10 innings, secure first road series victory of season | The Kansas City Star," 23 May 2018 Modern Houston sprawls over the nappy carpet of Texas soil in shreds, bones, nerves, and holes, a charred skeleton with an eye retained here, and there a prosthetic hand still smoking. — Molly Glentzer, Houston Chronicle, "How Norman Mailer nailed Houston - and the future of politics," 26 Feb. 2018 But the new numbers out today hold one shred of hope for buyers: The number of homes for sale is finally ticking up. — Morning Brief, The Seattle Times, "WSU quarterback Hilinski had CTE; travel ban upheld | Tuesday Morning Brief, June 26," 26 June 2018 Specifically, a few lean toward the precious and parsimonious, like slices of alabaster fluke adorned with tiny maitake mushrooms and shreds of aromatic celery leaf, or hamachi adorned with mint and scarlet slices of plum. — Mike Sula, Chicago Reader, "Andersonville’s Passerotto is a tale of two peninsulas," 21 June 2018 Not a great glimmer, but something, some shred of hope that they would be heard eventually. — Recode Staff, Recode, "Full transcript: Journalist Ronan Farrow on Recode Decode," 4 May 2018Recent Examples on the Web: Verb
Quarterback Trevor Knight and shredded the Alabama defense on the way to a 45–31 Sooners victory. — Will Mccollister, SI.com, "On the Outside Looking In: The Best Teams to Finish No. 3 in the BCS Era," 11 July 2018 The toxicity of the environment shreds the quality of conversation and deters meaningful participation in it. — Franklin Foer, The Atlantic, "The Death of the Public Square," 6 July 2018 For protein on your pad Thai, top off the dish with poached shrimp, shredded rotisserie chicken or cubes of tofu. — Terri Milligan, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Keep your cool: No-heat cooking keeps you comfortable and the food fresh," 5 July 2018 Mbappé shredded Argentina with two goals to send France into the quarterfinals. — Joshua Robinson, WSJ, "The World Cup’s Breakout Star: Kylian Mbappé," 1 July 2018 There’s also shredded lettuce and special creamy mayo sauce with a hint of horseradish. — Susan Selasky, Detroit Free Press, "Top 5 burgers to try in metro Detroit this summer," 25 June 2018 Diced little cubes of tangy pickles, shredded lettuce soaked in oil and a dusting of oregano, hot pepper relish — none of that pepper ring nonsense — and mayo. — Kara Baskin, BostonGlobe.com, "The best Italian sub around, with mayo and memories," 18 June 2018 The fabric is even softer than the POC shorts, but so far nothing has succeeded in shredding it. — Kelly Bastone, Outside Online, "Europeans Know How to Make Women's Mountain Bike Shorts," 29 June 2018 Get up to 5 pounds of free documents shredded for free through April 29 at Office Max and Office Depot with coupon. — Leada Gore, AL.com, "Tax Day 2018 freebies, discounts: Best deals on pizza, margaritas, more," 17 Apr. 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'shred.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for shred
shred
noun
English Language Learners Definition of shred
(Entry 1 of 2)
: a long, thin piece cut or torn off of something
shreds : a completely ruined condition
: a very small amount of something
shred
verbEnglish Language Learners Definition of shred (Entry 2 of 2)
: to cut or tear (something) into long, thin pieces
See the full definition for shred in the English Language Learners Dictionary
shred
noun
\
Kids Definition of shred
(Entry 1 of 2)
shred
verbKids Definition of shred (Entry 2 of 2)
: to cut or tear into small pieces
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Comments on shred
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