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
Thao Nguyen, USA Today, 27 June 2025
This is particularly common if plants are growing up against fencing or trellises with sharp corners that may rip into soft leaf tissue.
—Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 25 June 2025
Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 24 Mar. 2025
Today, the album exists only in the odd YouTube rip.
—Jeff Gage, Rolling Stone, 20 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for rip
Verb
Later that morning, the bear ripped open the door of a camper-van with teenagers sleeping inside and then was reported harassing other campers at the same campground, according to state wildlife officials.
—Thao Nguyen, USA Today, 27 June 2025
This is particularly common if plants are growing up against fencing or trellises with sharp corners that may rip into soft leaf tissue.
—Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 25 June 2025
Noun
There were no rips in the fabric of memory, in this view, because there were no memories to mend—no foundational oral tradition beneath the narratives, only a lattice of tropes.
—Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 24 Mar. 2025
Today, the album exists only in the odd YouTube rip.
—Jeff Gage, Rolling Stone, 20 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for rip
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rip
Verb
-
Hurricane Ian tore through the original building his family had operated for decades.—
Christina Kelso,
New York Times,
24 June 2025
-
And yes, this means that even a T. rex could have been more inclined to saunter around and maybe jog, rather than tearing across the land at top speeds of 27-29 km/h (17-18 mph).—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
24 June 2025
Verb
-
Then, the family members would drag their victim to a hidden cellar on the property and slit the victim’s throat, leaving them there to die.—
Sean Neumann,
People.com,
1 June 2025
-
In April 2006, Stanko, 57, beat and strangled girlfriend Laura Ling to death and raped her teenage daughter and slit her throat.—
Brie Stimson,
FOXNews.com,
30 May 2025
Verb
-
Nearly two weeks ago, 62 carbon-spewing private jets reportedly flew world leaders into Kananaskis, Canada, for the G7 summit, raising serious questions about the travel choices of those who are supposed to be tackling climate change and other global crises.—
Martha Ross,
Mercury News,
25 June 2025
-
The administration eventually flew him back, but immediately detained him on criminal charges.—
Sergio Martínez-Beltrán,
NPR,
25 June 2025
Verb
-
The administration previously yanked, and then reinstated, visas at an array of universities for more than 4,700 students this spring.—
Francesca Chambers,
USA Today,
19 June 2025
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Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images The National Institutes of Health, which is under Kennedy's command, has stopped accepting submissions for its flagship journal on environmental health and yanked research grants.—
Will Stone,
NPR,
18 June 2025
Verb
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The pair later sliced into a two-tiered wedding cake topped with fresh grapes and figs.—
Ashlyn Robinette,
People.com,
23 June 2025
-
Most of these pristine hailstones go directly to a cold lab in Colorado, where they are sliced with a hot wire band saw.—
Seth Borenstein,
Christian Science Monitor,
23 June 2025
Verb
-
The woman and her caretaker hurried home after spotting the animal, the outlet noted.—
Becca Longmire,
People.com,
12 June 2025
-
The ship’s list was already so pronounced that the drawer of the café’s cash register was slung open, and the pair were passed by officers and stewards hurrying to their boat stations, their arms out to each side like customers negotiating the tumbling barrel of a fun house.—
Jim Shepard,
New Yorker,
8 June 2025
Verb
-
My father seemed to crumple a little, shuddering, grabbing the edge of his desk to steady himself.—
Ottessa Moshfegh,
New Yorker,
30 June 2025
-
One four-person crew in a 24-foot open-bow MasterCraft grabbed their life jackets, wisely abandoned the boat and swam to shore.—
George Skelton,
Los Angeles Times,
30 June 2025
Verb
-
In March, Standard Chartered slashed its ether price target by more than half.—
Tanaya Macheel,
CNBC,
20 June 2025
-
This can slash down response times and aid agents because they won’t get bogged down by simple, repetitive requests.—
Nataliia Onyshkevych,
Forbes.com,
20 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Rip.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rip. Accessed 4 Jul. 2025.
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