1
as in tearing
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 slicing
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 rushing
to proceed or move quickly
the car went ripping down the road
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in yanking
to separate or remove by forceful pulling
rip a sheet off the pad of paper
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of ripping
The mayor called on ICE agents to leave the city, asserting that federal immigration authorities were ripping families apart and sowing chaos on Minneapolis streets.
—
Juliana Kim, NPR, 7 Jan. 2026
When Miller tried to grab the mother’s gun, Adams tried to pull him away from it, ripping Miller’s shirt.
—Michelle L. Quinn, Chicago Tribune, 6 Jan. 2026
One of the men is accused of walking behind the victim, ripping the chain off his neck and running.
—Sofia Saric, Miami Herald, 5 Jan. 2026
Homeowners began ripping it down, dealing with the price tag-like paper that left glue everywhere.
—Kaitlyn Keegan, Hartford Courant, 4 Jan. 2026
Campbell hit the streets, ripping town maps out of the Yellow Pages and walking door to door to talk with people.
—Los Angeles Times, 31 Dec. 2025
Cihla remembers Fetzer and his penchant for ripping into customers who asked the wrong questions and pulled out their cellphones, according to a 2019 Journal Sentinel article.
—La Risa R. Lynch, jsonline.com, 26 Dec. 2025
This is perfect for emergency organic kale runs or ripping around backcountry carvers with four giggling friends (or, in this author’s case, one friend and three ebullient toddlers in car seats).
—Sean Evans, Robb Report, 23 Dec. 2025
Authorities said the inmates fled through a hole in a cell wall after ripping away a toilet and sink unit on the morning of May 16.
—Thao Nguyen, USA Today, 23 Dec. 2025
Juliana Kim, NPR, 7 Jan. 2026
When Miller tried to grab the mother’s gun, Adams tried to pull him away from it, ripping Miller’s shirt.
—Michelle L. Quinn, Chicago Tribune, 6 Jan. 2026
One of the men is accused of walking behind the victim, ripping the chain off his neck and running.
—Sofia Saric, Miami Herald, 5 Jan. 2026
Homeowners began ripping it down, dealing with the price tag-like paper that left glue everywhere.
—Kaitlyn Keegan, Hartford Courant, 4 Jan. 2026
Campbell hit the streets, ripping town maps out of the Yellow Pages and walking door to door to talk with people.
—Los Angeles Times, 31 Dec. 2025
Cihla remembers Fetzer and his penchant for ripping into customers who asked the wrong questions and pulled out their cellphones, according to a 2019 Journal Sentinel article.
—La Risa R. Lynch, jsonline.com, 26 Dec. 2025
This is perfect for emergency organic kale runs or ripping around backcountry carvers with four giggling friends (or, in this author’s case, one friend and three ebullient toddlers in car seats).
—Sean Evans, Robb Report, 23 Dec. 2025
Authorities said the inmates fled through a hole in a cell wall after ripping away a toilet and sink unit on the morning of May 16.
—Thao Nguyen, USA Today, 23 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ripping
Verb
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Where, in the springtime, sudden storms send tornadoes tearing through towns, destroying everything in their wake.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
22 Jan. 2026
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McCoy earned first-team All-SEC recognition last season with four interceptions for the Vols after transferring from Oregon State before tearing his ACL during an offseason training session in January.—
Eddie Brown,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
22 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Guard Olivia Miles, who scored a game-high 22 points, led the layup line, slicing to the basket off fast breaks or out of the half court.—
Lawrence Dow,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
12 Jan. 2026
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There’s one more tip that will make slicing soft cheese simple.—
Sophia Beams,
Better Homes & Gardens,
9 Jan. 2026
Verb
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With Matt Reeves separate Batman pic, The Batman Part II, set to go into production this spring, DC Studios is not rushing this film which has no ties to Reeves film.—
Justin Kroll,
Deadline,
21 Jan. 2026
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The 23-year-old had spent the first four seasons of his career at Division II Ferris State, leading them to a national championship while throwing for 26 touchdowns and rushing for over 1,000 yards during his junior season in 2024.—
DJ Siddiqi,
Forbes.com,
21 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Armed and masked law enforcement officers are being witnessed smashing car windows, yanking people from vehicles and chasing and wrestling others to the ground and hauling them away — images playing out in endless loops on TVs and other screens.—
Lisa Mascaro,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Jan. 2026
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Multiple videos show agents firing pepper spray from their vehicles, throwing protesters to the ground and yanking people out of cars.—
Christopher Cann,
USA Today,
15 Jan. 2026
Verb
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When Rochelle Luna, 18, arrived at the house hours later, Djerf bound, gagged and raped her before stabbing her and slitting her throat, court records said.—
Elena Santa Cruz,
AZCentral.com,
19 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Hall was in net when Boston's Bobby Orr scored in overtime to win the Cup for the Bruins in 1970, a goal that's among the most famous in hockey history because of the flying through the air celebration that followed.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
8 Jan. 2026
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While some travelers praise the trend for reducing stress and avoiding baggage fees, others say flying without bags is unrealistic for longer trips or work travel.—
Kelly McGreal,
FOXNews.com,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Take after the actress by grabbing them in black, or choose from six additional colors, including burgundy and deep brown.—
Averi Baudler,
PEOPLE,
12 Jan. 2026
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Healthy cooking often boils down to accessibility and convenience; busy lives can leave people grabbing less nutritious alternatives.—
Virginia Willis,
AJC.com,
11 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Left to carry the weight Mayor Arunan Arulampalam said Hartford is a city of 120,000 people where half of the property is not taxable, deeply slashing the city’s revenue.—
Livi Stanford,
Hartford Courant,
19 Jan. 2026
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In recent years, private-equity deals have been seen to milk businesses for profit by slashing costs and quality, and have appeared to play a role in the breakup of some legacy retail brands, including Toys R Us, Red Lobster, TGI Fridays and fabrics chain JoAnn Inc.—
Suhauna Hussain The Los Angeles Times,
Arkansas Online,
18 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ripping.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ripping. Accessed 23 Jan. 2026.
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