1
as in to tear
to cause (something) to separate into jagged pieces by violently pulling at it
the dog ripped the sleeve of my shirt by grabbing it with his teeth
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in to slit
to penetrate with a sharp edge (as a knife)
you can see where someone ripped the painting with a penknife
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in to fly
to proceed or move quickly
the car went ripping down the road
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in to yank
to separate or remove by forceful pulling
rip a sheet off the pad of paper
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in pervert
a person who has sunk below the normal moral standard
something of a rip in his youth, he eventually settled down
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of rip
Matthew Impelli, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Apr. 2025
The situation ripped the family apart as the daughter decided to go and the son chose to stay with mom at home.
—Rachel Chang, Travel + Leisure, 29 Apr. 2025
Sam McDowell, Kansas City Star, 23 Mar. 2025
There’s even a dedicated Reddit page, where diehards rip the rips, providing an archive in case themes get copyright struck.
—Kieran Press-Reynolds, Pitchfork, 26 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for rip
Verb
Another homeowner, as reported by Newsweek, found a vintage linoleum floor under a carpet after ripping it up during a renovation process.
—Matthew Impelli, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Apr. 2025
The situation ripped the family apart as the daughter decided to go and the son chose to stay with mom at home.
—Rachel Chang, Travel + Leisure, 29 Apr. 2025
Noun
The manager doesn’t give a rip about the organizational recent history, the fact that the team had spanned eight years without a winning season since the World Series.
—Sam McDowell, Kansas City Star, 23 Mar. 2025
There’s even a dedicated Reddit page, where diehards rip the rips, providing an archive in case themes get copyright struck.
—Kieran Press-Reynolds, Pitchfork, 26 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for rip
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rip
Verb
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Now, against her will, the past had torn through her and over her.—
Lillian Fishman,
New Yorker,
4 May 2025
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But Cohen got Alonso back on a two-year deal, and now the Polar Bear is tearing the cover off the ball.—
Sam Settleman,
New York Times,
3 May 2025
Verb
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Everyone, even the children, have scars from where the corners of their mouths have been slit up into their cheeks, Joker-style.—
Kimberly Roots,
TVLine,
27 Apr. 2025
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There are no marks on the bones directly attributable to a cause of death, Green said, and the Romans typically killed their sacrifices by slitting their throats or through drowning.—
Irene Wright,
Miami Herald,
8 Jan. 2025
Verb
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The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is now targeting the first quarter of 2027 for its first astronaut launch, which was originally planned to fly in 2022.—
Josh Dinner,
Space.com,
8 May 2025
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Bridges followed that make with a flying steal in front of his bench, then ripped the ball out of Jaylen Brown’s arms to end the game.—
James L. Edwards III,
New York Times,
8 May 2025
Verb
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Soon thereafter, starving, Cage yanks the dead rat from the ground and holds it to his teeth, about to take a bite.—
Rachel Handler,
Vulture,
2 May 2025
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Donald Trump is yanking federal funds from public media.—
E. Tammy Kim,
New Yorker,
2 May 2025
Verb
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Vega walked in another run as the Utes sliced the lead to 5-2 with one out.—
Matt Murschel,
The Orlando Sentinel,
8 May 2025
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Following a one-out walk of Carson Kelly, Walker allowed an RBI single to Justin Turner that sliced San Francisco’s lead to 5-4.—
Justice delos Santos,
Mercury News,
7 May 2025
Verb
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Juan and Alfredo—who arrives just afterward—don’t have time to mourn their friend’s death and hurry to leave after seeing people with flashlights heading toward the building.—
Isadora Wandermurem,
Time,
1 May 2025
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When the final whistle sounded Saturday, coach Mikey Varas seemed eager for Tuesday to hurry up.—
Tom Krasovic,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
28 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Keep scrolling for more comfortable and packable flats to grab this season from Amazon, Nordstrom, Zappos, and more—starting at $25.—
Aly Walansky,
Travel + Leisure,
1 May 2025
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The game ended appropriately with Minnesota’s Naz Reid grabbing an offensive rebound off a Timberwolves missed free throw attempt and hugging the ball like Minnesota hugged this victory.—
Bill Plaschke,
Los Angeles Times,
1 May 2025
Verb
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The Trump administration’s drive to slash government spending on everything from the arts to cancer research also includes efforts to carry through on the Republican Party’s long-standing goal of ending federal funding for NPR, the nation’s public radio network, and PBS, its television counterpart.—
Josh Shepperd,
The Conversation,
2 May 2025
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Project 2025 was a sweeping blueprint from the 2024 campaign season from the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank, to slash the federal workforce and dismantle federal agencies.—
Lisa Mascaro and Josh Boak,
Los Angeles Times,
2 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Rip.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rip. Accessed 14 May. 2025.
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