as in tears
to cause (something) to separate into jagged pieces by violently pulling at it
over the years the historic flag had become badly ribboned by the wind
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of ribbons
Lydia Price, Travel + Leisure, 17 Oct. 2025
At night, the helical patterns look adorned with ribbons of LED lighting, transforming the bridge into a shimmering sculpture that reflects in the waters below.
—Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 16 Oct. 2025
Known for creating ribbons of colorful light in the night sky, the aurora borealis are polar lights, or aurora polaris, that appear in the northern hemisphere.
—Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 16 Oct. 2025
Despite flowing through one of the world's most arid regions, the Hotan feeds ribbons of vegetation sprouting around its banks.
—Kenna Hughes-Castleberry, Space.com, 16 Oct. 2025
Then, whole eggs are whisked in at the end to form thin ribbons, akin to egg drop soup.
—The Washington Post, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Oct. 2025
The 1950s and 1960s would prove to be the start of the glory days of the luxury coupe in America, with the nation’s economy growing as fast as the ribbons of brand-new interstate being paved from sea to shining sea.
—Will Sabel Courtney, Robb Report, 10 Oct. 2025
Standing nearby was Orly Eshet, who has been a volunteer at the site since shortly after the Hamas attacks, handing out yellow ribbons and collecting donations for the hostages’ relatives.
—Ruth Margalit, New Yorker, 9 Oct. 2025
To recreate this craft from The Craft Patch, take a pack of wooden spoons, decorative tape, construction paper, ribbons, string, and markers and create your very own witch spoons.
—Ellen Sturm Niz, Parents, 8 Oct. 2025
Noun
While the midnight sun washes out celestial colors during summer in places like Alaska and Finland, the Midwest's summer nights stay dark enough to enjoy the dancing ribbons in a T-shirt and shorts.
—Lydia Price, Travel + Leisure, 17 Oct. 2025
At night, the helical patterns look adorned with ribbons of LED lighting, transforming the bridge into a shimmering sculpture that reflects in the waters below.
—Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 16 Oct. 2025
Known for creating ribbons of colorful light in the night sky, the aurora borealis are polar lights, or aurora polaris, that appear in the northern hemisphere.
—Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 16 Oct. 2025
Despite flowing through one of the world's most arid regions, the Hotan feeds ribbons of vegetation sprouting around its banks.
—Kenna Hughes-Castleberry, Space.com, 16 Oct. 2025
Then, whole eggs are whisked in at the end to form thin ribbons, akin to egg drop soup.
—The Washington Post, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Oct. 2025
The 1950s and 1960s would prove to be the start of the glory days of the luxury coupe in America, with the nation’s economy growing as fast as the ribbons of brand-new interstate being paved from sea to shining sea.
—Will Sabel Courtney, Robb Report, 10 Oct. 2025
Standing nearby was Orly Eshet, who has been a volunteer at the site since shortly after the Hamas attacks, handing out yellow ribbons and collecting donations for the hostages’ relatives.
—Ruth Margalit, New Yorker, 9 Oct. 2025
To recreate this craft from The Craft Patch, take a pack of wooden spoons, decorative tape, construction paper, ribbons, string, and markers and create your very own witch spoons.
—Ellen Sturm Niz, Parents, 8 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ribbons
Noun
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The new Frank’s RedHot Diablo sauce features Frank’s classic Buffalo flavor, adding it to tacos, burritos, strips and Nacho Fries.—
Suzanne Blake,
MSNBC Newsweek,
14 Oct. 2025
-
In the ’50s, before digital audio, the audio strips were on the inside of the film strip’s perforations, meaning the image itself was slightly narrower.—
Brian Welk,
IndieWire,
14 Oct. 2025
Verb
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First released in 2020 on South Africa’s M-Net, a division of MultiChoice, and now a Canal Plus company, the thriller about how a family tears itself apart in a succession battle built a huge fandom in South Africa and fame abroad.—
John Hopewell,
Variety,
13 Oct. 2025
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The Achilles tears that the Boston Celtics' Jayson Tatum and Tyrese Haliburton of the Indiana Pacers suffered during the 2025 playoffs have made the race for the conference wide open this coming season.—
Robert Marvi,
MSNBC Newsweek,
20 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Continue reading … CRIME MAGNET – Washington Post rips Democratic Socialist's costly bus proposal for New Yorkers.—
,
FOXNews.com,
13 Oct. 2025
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The Meadow Vista Community Center, located at 1101 Meadow Vista Road, could also serve as an evacuation site if a fire rips through the area, residents said.—
Ishani Desai,
Sacbee.com,
9 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Extreme weather at the poles stresses crucial moss and lichen, and shreds entire habitats in hours.—
Marion Renault,
The Atlantic,
29 Sep. 2025
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Trump, by contrast, shreds regular procedures, shrugs off the expertise needed to bring policies to life, and promotes administrative incompetence in order to eliminate any authority other than himself.—
Russell Muirhead,
Foreign Affairs,
5 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ribbons.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ribbons. Accessed 19 Oct. 2025.
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