shred

noun

\ ˈshred

, especially Southern ˈsred\

Definition of shred

(Entry 1 of 2)

1a : a long narrow strip cut or torn off

b shreds plural : a shredded, damaged, or ruined condition a reputation torn to shreds

2 : particle, scrap not a shred of evidence

shred

verb

shredded; shredding

Definition of shred (Entry 2 of 2)

transitive verb

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

intransitive verb

: to come apart in or break up into shreds

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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

Neither the musical nor the film has a shred of reality to it—or, at least, any reality that a black person or a wartime factory worker would recognize as such. — Hilton Als, The New Yorker, "Anika Noni Rose’s Star-Making Self-Possession in “Carmen Jones”," 9 July 2017 The only take-away from that Saturday: a shred of denim. — Jason Pohl, azcentral, "From missing to legally dead: The search for Sheriff's Office posse member Sam Grider," 12 Jan. 2018 Those chances of going deep likely hinged on continuing to win and shutting out every last shred of negativity. — Martin Rogers, USA TODAY, "Mexico choked and now its World Cup run looks doomed," 27 June 2018 Jaxon's parents live in awe of their son, who has overcome every shred of doubt that science has presented him. — Sarah Schreiber, Good Housekeeping, "Jaxon Strong, Miracle Baby Born With Most of His Skull Missing, Just Hit an "Impossible" Milestone," 11 Nov. 2016 Perhaps another young woman, someone with a shred of pride and dignity, would have saved up her own money and bought the Speedy for herself. — Lynn Yaeger, Vogue, "A Handbag Named Desire: Desperate for a Vuitton Speedy in Working-Class Massapequa," 31 Aug. 2018 There's not a single corroborating witness, there's not a single shred of evidence. — Fox News, "Reps. Meadows, Jordan call on Rosenstein to testify," 27 Sep. 2018 As for his future at United, which has been labelled 'uncertain' by overzealous reporting keen to sensationalise every shred of information, Pogba says he is committed to his current contract. — SI.com, "Paul Pogba Opens Up on Difficult Spell Last Season & Brands Transfer Speculation as 'Just Words'," 5 June 2018 Not a shred of evidence about Trump, Russia collusion. — Fox News, "Conway: Denuclearization of North Korea benefits the world," 12 June 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

But for stars closer in size to the sun, there's an end stage where—when all the hydrogen reserves are spent—the star expands outward, shredding planets in the path. — John Wenz, Popular Mechanics, "Scientists Think They've Found a Dead Planetary Core Orbiting a Dead Star," 4 Apr. 2019 Top with any remaining salsa and sprinkle with 1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack. — The Good Housekeeping Test Kitchen, Good Housekeeping, "Easy Weeknight Meals," 21 Dec. 2018 Birria is a funky deeply-rich goat bone broth stuffed with tender shredded meat spiked with fiery arbol chilis, a shower of cilantro and a tangy spritz of lime. — Michael Nagrant, RedEye Chicago, "A guide to eating your way through Chicago's South Side," 6 July 2017 But by shredding the foam, this pillow offers that feeling of sinking into foam while still being moldable. — Lindsey Ramsey, House Beautiful, "The Coop Pillow Has Officially Made Me Addicted To My Bed," 4 Mar. 2019 Lisa Murkowski voted for the bill even though her pet project of shredding the Tongass forest wasn't included. — Author: Shannyn Moore | Opinion, Anchorage Daily News, "With two right wings, no wonder some of us feel like we’re going to crash," 24 Mar. 2018 Sorry, Hawaii: Peruvians were shredding it some 2,000 years before everyone else, says Enrique Amayo, a retired historian with São Paulo State University in Brazil. — Catherine Elton, Condé Nast Traveler, "Your Next Surf Spot Should Be Peru," 16 Oct. 2018 Here’s a satisfying GIF showcasing how the painting should have shredded. — Julia Alexander, The Verge, "New Banksy video shows Girl with Balloon should have been totally shredded," 18 Oct. 2018 Like many shredded memory foam pillows, the fill in each can be adjusted to suit a wide range of different sleepers. — Don Melanson, Popular Mechanics, "How To Find the Perfect Pillow and Finally Get a Good Night's Sleep," 3 Oct. 2018

These 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.