variants
also rived
1
as in disrupted
to cause to separate into pieces usually suddenly or forcibly
road pavement that had been riven by the annual freeze-and-thaw cycle
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in torn
to cause (something) to separate into jagged pieces by violently pulling at it
the bitter disappointment threatened to rive my heart in two
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of riven
Advertisement Venezuela is a country of 28 million people, riven by armed militias, criminal organizations, and Chavista loyalists who haven’t simply vanished because Maduro was helicoptered to New York.
—
Bobby Ghosh, Time, 6 Jan. 2026
The Venezuelan opposition has always been riven with divisions.
—Jonathan Blitzer, New Yorker, 5 Jan. 2026
Trump ends the year weak and unpopular, his coalition dispirited and riven by infighting.
—Michelle Goldberg, Mercury News, 30 Dec. 2025
The country of about 230 million people, by far the most populous in Africa, is split roughly evenly between Muslim and Christian populations and has been riven by violence for decades.
—Arkansas Online, 27 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for riven
Bobby Ghosh, Time, 6 Jan. 2026
The Venezuelan opposition has always been riven with divisions.
—Jonathan Blitzer, New Yorker, 5 Jan. 2026
Trump ends the year weak and unpopular, his coalition dispirited and riven by infighting.
—Michelle Goldberg, Mercury News, 30 Dec. 2025
The country of about 230 million people, by far the most populous in Africa, is split roughly evenly between Muslim and Christian populations and has been riven by violence for decades.
—Arkansas Online, 27 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for riven
Recent Examples of Synonyms for riven
Verb
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Now, with missiles intercepted over Gulf capitals and air travel repeatedly disrupted, the long-standing stability of Dubai expat life is being questioned.—
Emma Graham,Sawdah Bhaimiya,
CNBC,
21 Apr. 2026
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The case stems from the September 2024 fire at the BioLab facility, which sent a large plume of smoke into the air, forced more than 17,000 people to evacuate and about 90,000 others to shelter in place, and disrupted nearby businesses and neighborhoods.—
Jamal Goss,
CBS News,
21 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Their garage roof was also partly torn off, and their trailer was tipped over.—
Forum News Service,
Twin Cities,
18 Apr. 2026
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The war has jolted markets and rattled the global economy as shipping has been cut off and airstrikes have torn through military and civilian infrastructure across the region.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Olson added that when the lights were out, cars on the street would be broken into.—
Adam Duxter,
CBS News,
11 Apr. 2026
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The park surrounding the fountain has a number of native plants, but more than half the plaques identifying them are broken or missing.—
Steve Lopez,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Luis Campusano ripped an 0-2 slider for a double to left-center after missing on two sliders.—
Kevin Acee,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
16 Apr. 2026
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The junior outfielder/catcher went 3-for-4, ripped a two-run homer and drove in four runs to lead the host Griffins to a 10-4 win over Lemont in Frankfort.—
Steve Millar,
Chicago Tribune,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Larissa and Charlie’s relationship doesn’t seem all that fractured.—
Gregory Nussen,
Deadline,
16 Apr. 2026
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Ties between Anthropic — which has only released Mythos to some institutions — and Washington have fractured since the Pentagon declared the AI giant a supply-chain risk after a dispute over how its technology could be used.—
Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson,
semafor.com,
16 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Riven.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/riven. Accessed 24 Apr. 2026.
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