1
as in tears
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 slits
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 rushes
to proceed or move quickly
the car went ripping down the road
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in grabs
to separate or remove by forceful pulling
rip a sheet off the pad of paper
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in perverts
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 rips
Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 1 Jan. 2026
In the clip, Oshry, who welcomed her first son Reuben, with her husband, Ben Soffer, in May, reaches into her fridge to grab a head of cabbage, then rips open her animal-print bathrobe to show a compression bra stuffed with cabbage leaves.
—Cara Lynn Shultz, PEOPLE, 16 Dec. 2025
Rare breakthrough cases in partially or fully vaccinated people are more likely to happen during a large outbreak, according to epidemiologists, because so many become exposed as the virus rips through unvaccinated people.
—Arkansas Online, 12 Dec. 2025
Wind gusts will likely take aim at the 40 mph range on Wednesday as a cold front rips through.
—Ahmad Bajjey, CBS News, 25 Nov. 2025
As the storm rips across the state, portions of the desert including Death Valley National Park, Eastern Mojave Desert, Owens Valley and San Bernardino County-Upper Colorado River Valley will be under a flood watch.
—Deputy News Editor, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Nov. 2025
The seventh-gen Mantra M7 still rips, but it’s finally figured out how to have a little fun, too.
—Marina Knight, Outside, 17 Oct. 2025
Continue reading … CRIME MAGNET – Washington Post rips Democratic Socialist's costly bus proposal for New Yorkers.
—FOXNews.com, 13 Oct. 2025
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
Michelle Lee, PEOPLE, 4 Nov. 2025
Two easy ways to ensure the grass is mowed properly is, according to Cannon, to know the turf type and how much to mow and use a sharp mower blade to avoid tears or rips, which are basically open wounds on the plant.
—Lauren David, Southern Living, 24 Oct. 2025
This season, designers at New York Fashion Week spring 2026 shows turned the fabric into a moving canvas — giving it the high-design treatment with experimental silhouettes, dazzling embellishments and old-school rips.
—Footwear News, 15 Oct. 2025
Trump’s reset rips it back to its DNA.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 1 Oct. 2025
Some stuffing gaped out of the rips on the back.
—Maureen Lee Lenker, Entertainment Weekly, 19 Sep. 2025
Knee rips and distressing, as well as a drop-sleeve denim moto jacket added some New York attitude to the collection.
—Angela Velasquez, Sourcing Journal, 18 Sep. 2025
What was once limited to grainy camcorder recordings in theaters now also includes polished Blu-ray rips hitting the internet weeks early.
—Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 12 Sep. 2025
Stardust lived on without them, online, in YouTube rips and forum discussions.
—Brittany Spanos, Rolling Stone, 2 Sep. 2025
Verb
Eleven flies up to be face-to-face with the Mind Flayer, rips out his throat, jumps inside, and in one sleek-as-hell move, rips Vecna down from the Mind Flayer power source he’s been plugged into.
—Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 1 Jan. 2026
In the clip, Oshry, who welcomed her first son Reuben, with her husband, Ben Soffer, in May, reaches into her fridge to grab a head of cabbage, then rips open her animal-print bathrobe to show a compression bra stuffed with cabbage leaves.
—Cara Lynn Shultz, PEOPLE, 16 Dec. 2025
Rare breakthrough cases in partially or fully vaccinated people are more likely to happen during a large outbreak, according to epidemiologists, because so many become exposed as the virus rips through unvaccinated people.
—Arkansas Online, 12 Dec. 2025
Wind gusts will likely take aim at the 40 mph range on Wednesday as a cold front rips through.
—Ahmad Bajjey, CBS News, 25 Nov. 2025
As the storm rips across the state, portions of the desert including Death Valley National Park, Eastern Mojave Desert, Owens Valley and San Bernardino County-Upper Colorado River Valley will be under a flood watch.
—Deputy News Editor, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Nov. 2025
The seventh-gen Mantra M7 still rips, but it’s finally figured out how to have a little fun, too.
—Marina Knight, Outside, 17 Oct. 2025
Continue reading … CRIME MAGNET – Washington Post rips Democratic Socialist's costly bus proposal for New Yorkers.
—FOXNews.com, 13 Oct. 2025
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
Noun
Before-and-after photos first shared on social media by Marilyn Monroe historian and collector Scott Fortner showed that the dress had signs of damage, including missing crystals and several small rips along the zipper seam.
—Michelle Lee, PEOPLE, 4 Nov. 2025
Two easy ways to ensure the grass is mowed properly is, according to Cannon, to know the turf type and how much to mow and use a sharp mower blade to avoid tears or rips, which are basically open wounds on the plant.
—Lauren David, Southern Living, 24 Oct. 2025
This season, designers at New York Fashion Week spring 2026 shows turned the fabric into a moving canvas — giving it the high-design treatment with experimental silhouettes, dazzling embellishments and old-school rips.
—Footwear News, 15 Oct. 2025
Trump’s reset rips it back to its DNA.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 1 Oct. 2025
Some stuffing gaped out of the rips on the back.
—Maureen Lee Lenker, Entertainment Weekly, 19 Sep. 2025
Knee rips and distressing, as well as a drop-sleeve denim moto jacket added some New York attitude to the collection.
—Angela Velasquez, Sourcing Journal, 18 Sep. 2025
What was once limited to grainy camcorder recordings in theaters now also includes polished Blu-ray rips hitting the internet weeks early.
—Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 12 Sep. 2025
Stardust lived on without them, online, in YouTube rips and forum discussions.
—Brittany Spanos, Rolling Stone, 2 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rips
Verb
-
This is definitely something that tears at your heartstrings.—
Alexandra Simon,
CBS News,
8 Jan. 2026
-
These bags keep the items from experiencing friction that tears at the fibers.—
Ashlyn Needham,
Southern Living,
29 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
The woman who later identified herself as Good's partner rushes to the Honda Pilot.—
Chris Looft,
ABC News,
8 Jan. 2026
-
Denver’s defense rushes the passer as well as any other team in the league.—
The Athletic NFL Staff,
New York Times,
5 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
But the sustained fury grabs you.—
Jackson McHenry,
Vulture,
4 Nov. 2025
-
Today, artificial intelligence grabs headlines and AI stocks are soaring.—
Drew O’Connor,
Nashville Tennessean,
2 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
The chicken shreds beautifully in this dish, and the vegetables become soft and tender.—
Sarah Martens,
Better Homes & Gardens,
25 Oct. 2025
-
Extreme weather at the poles stresses crucial moss and lichen, and shreds entire habitats in hours.—
Marion Renault,
The Atlantic,
29 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Place slices in a dry skillet over medium heat.—
Sabrina Weiss,
PEOPLE,
28 Oct. 2025
-
Place slices 1 inch apart on prepared cookie sheets.—
Jessica Saari Christensen,
Better Homes & Gardens,
18 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The older dog is shown marching along, while the puppy scurries along, attempting to match its pace.—
Soo Kim,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Sep. 2025
-
In some versions of the tale, the wolf scurries off to the forest while the three pigs live happily ever after in humble homesteads of their choice.—
Julie Gallant,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
13 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Judy yanks Mikey’s roller trunk out of the mud and leads him toward one of the nearby hiking trails.—
Michael Nied,
PEOPLE,
26 Nov. 2025
-
Suddenly, someone in the audience yanks her violently into the screaming mass of people.—
Madeleine Marr,
Miami Herald,
10 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
At some point, Alice slashes the tires on Rachel’s car.—
Sam Reed,
Glamour,
9 Jan. 2026
-
There, Constance slashes her face with a knife.—
Randall Colburn,
Entertainment Weekly,
9 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Rips.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rips. Accessed 11 Jan. 2026.
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