rends

verb

present tense third-person singular of rend
as in rips
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for rends
  1. rips
  2. tears
Verb
  • Continue reading … NATION IN MOURNING — Canadian service members killed, 19 critically injured after fire rips through base.
    — , FOXNews.com, 19 Oct. 2026
  • When an explosion rips through the hills, 35-year-old Nengsal is dug out of the debris having lost a leg.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of rips
Verb
  • But as measles tears through many of their hometowns in central Pennsylvania, the national conversation has become paradoxically politically charged.
    — Deidre McPhillips, CNN Money, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Following her father’s unexpected death, Carrie enters the public high school ecosystem and is forced to navigate a viral bullying scandal that tears through her community.
    — Armando Tinoco, Deadline, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of tears
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Browse Nearby Words

renditions
rends
renegade
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Cite this Entry

“Rends.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rends. Accessed 26 Oct. 2026.

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