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
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Recent Examples of riven
The result, according to experts, are many city governments riven by workplace tension.
—
Michael Slaten, Oc Register, 14 Sep. 2025
Written in the flush of a new friendship with co-producer, engineer, and musician Sam Weber, the album unspools a suite of folk miniatures riven with discursive melodies as evocative as the cultural ephemera dotted through the lyrics.
—Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 29 Aug. 2025
The House’s action was riven with partisanship.
—Kevin R. Kosar, The Washington Examiner, 22 Aug. 2025
Now the scramble is on to define the future of Syria, quickly, to prevent ethnic, political, and sectarian rivalries from triggering a war even more divisive than the conflict that has riven the nation for thirteen years.
—Robin Wright, The New Yorker, 15 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for riven
Michael Slaten, Oc Register, 14 Sep. 2025
Written in the flush of a new friendship with co-producer, engineer, and musician Sam Weber, the album unspools a suite of folk miniatures riven with discursive melodies as evocative as the cultural ephemera dotted through the lyrics.
—Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 29 Aug. 2025
The House’s action was riven with partisanship.
—Kevin R. Kosar, The Washington Examiner, 22 Aug. 2025
Now the scramble is on to define the future of Syria, quickly, to prevent ethnic, political, and sectarian rivalries from triggering a war even more divisive than the conflict that has riven the nation for thirteen years.
—Robin Wright, The New Yorker, 15 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for riven
Recent Examples of Synonyms for riven
Verb
-
Big Deal Amazon Web Services (AWS) experienced a major outage on October 20 that disrupted the websites of several major businesses, including Snapchat, Hulu, crypto exchange Coinbase, and the online brokerage Robinhood.—
Sheryl Estrada,
Fortune,
21 Oct. 2025
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Kathryn Palmer The shutdown unfortunately disrupted my weekend plans to check out the FDR Presidential Library in upstate New York, but the gorgeous fall weather in the area was a welcome consolation.—
Kathryn Palmer,
USA Today,
20 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Indigo stands at the crossroads of a denim industry torn between preserving its heritage and embracing the future.—
Angela Velasquez,
Sourcing Journal,
22 Oct. 2025
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At the outset of the novel, fellowship within the house of Karamazov has been torn to shreds.—
Karl Ove Knausgaard,
New Yorker,
21 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
After Operation Shovel, the alliance between the Kinahans and the Hutches fractured.—
Ed Caesar,
New Yorker,
20 Oct. 2025
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The gun's proximity to his head when the blast went off resulted in the actor's skull being fractured.—
Angela Andaloro,
PEOPLE,
20 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Mookie Betts ripped a double in the next at-bat and the Dodgers jumped out to a 1-0 lead.—
Ryan Canfield,
FOXNews.com,
17 Oct. 2025
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Inside the car, the rear bench has been ripped out so that reclining sport-style seats with Pepita inserts could be installed.—
Bryan Hood,
Robb Report,
17 Oct. 2025
Verb
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This past Sunday, the Israeli military alleged that Hamas had broken the ceasefire by killing two Israeli soldiers in southern Gaza.—
Mosab Abu Toha,
New Yorker,
24 Oct. 2025
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The truck driver told police that his dash camera did not work and had been broken for over a month, according to the family.—
Jenna Sundel,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Atlanta scored first on a 38-yard field goal from Parker Romo, but that came after Huff and Sam Okuayinonu split a third-down sack to minimize a 19-play, 10 ½-minute drive.—
Cam Inman,
Mercury News,
20 Oct. 2025
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Bigger than Alaska and Texas combined, West Antarctica is split from the eastern half of the continent by the Transantarctic Mountains, whose peaks are buried to their chins in ice.—
Evan Howell,
Quanta Magazine,
20 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Riven.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/riven. Accessed 26 Oct. 2025.
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