as in tearing
to cause (something) to separate into jagged pieces by violently pulling at it
the prophecy that the disaster would cause people to rend their garments in mourning
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Recent Examples of rending
The excellent Julian Quinones’ early goal settled any nerves and then came the emotive, heart-rending second from talisman Raul Jimenez in the second half.
—
Tim Spiers, New York Times, 17 June 2026
Our mopey heroine is Percy Fraser (Sadie Soverall), a 28-year-old obituary writer who grew up spending summers lakeside in a small Canadian town but hasn’t been back since her world-rending split with Sam Florek (Matt Cornett), the boy next door.
—Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 9 June 2026
By that point however, Reeves says Smith’s vice had become truly life-rending.
—Jonathan Rowe, SPIN, 1 June 2026
More notable still, perhaps, is the fact that calling for the release of the Epstein files has seemed to cut across the myriad divisions rending the Democratic Party.
—Jon Allsop, New Yorker, 24 Apr. 2026
Guthrie’s willingness to take part in an interview with a visibly emotional Kotb was heart-rending.
—Brian Steinberg, Variety, 3 Apr. 2026
The emotional tribute paid homage to some of the most heart-rending high-profile deaths of the past year, including Diane Keaton, Robert Redford, and Rob Reiner, each of whom received their own dedicated homage.
—Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 16 Mar. 2026
The sagas of Icelanders—plotty, laconic, often heart-rending—constitute one of the oldest literatures in any language still commonly spoken.
—Literary Hub, 11 Feb. 2026
Tim Spiers, New York Times, 17 June 2026
Our mopey heroine is Percy Fraser (Sadie Soverall), a 28-year-old obituary writer who grew up spending summers lakeside in a small Canadian town but hasn’t been back since her world-rending split with Sam Florek (Matt Cornett), the boy next door.
—Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 9 June 2026
By that point however, Reeves says Smith’s vice had become truly life-rending.
—Jonathan Rowe, SPIN, 1 June 2026
More notable still, perhaps, is the fact that calling for the release of the Epstein files has seemed to cut across the myriad divisions rending the Democratic Party.
—Jon Allsop, New Yorker, 24 Apr. 2026
Guthrie’s willingness to take part in an interview with a visibly emotional Kotb was heart-rending.
—Brian Steinberg, Variety, 3 Apr. 2026
The emotional tribute paid homage to some of the most heart-rending high-profile deaths of the past year, including Diane Keaton, Robert Redford, and Rob Reiner, each of whom received their own dedicated homage.
—Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 16 Mar. 2026
The sagas of Icelanders—plotty, laconic, often heart-rending—constitute one of the oldest literatures in any language still commonly spoken.
—Literary Hub, 11 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rending
Verb
-
The remnants of Tropical Storm Arthur battered parts of the southeastern United States with drenching rains and strong wind on Thursday, tearing through buildings, flooding homes and launching water rescues along the Gulf Coast.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
19 June 2026
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When Dick came down there was a sharp pain and a tearing sound at the back of my jacket.—
Dolores Brown,
Outdoor Life,
17 June 2026
Verb
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One-touch passing, feinting and ripping hard shots into a tattered net, each is super-charged by vivid daydreams of glory on the international stage.—
Jason Motlagh,
Rolling Stone,
22 June 2026
-
In the 67th minute, Bosnia and Herzegovina had a golden chance with Amar Dedić ripping a shot from the far center, but it's blocked by Swiss goalkeeper Kobel.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
19 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Rending.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rending. Accessed 24 Jun. 2026.
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