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
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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
Despite outward shows of unity, Cuba’s Communist Party is riven with factions that are frequently reported to be at odds.
—
Jon Lee Anderson, New Yorker, 29 Sep. 2025
In a country riven by deep inequalities, however, opportunity for some came at a loss for others.
—Literary Hub, 29 Sep. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for riven
Jon Lee Anderson, New Yorker, 29 Sep. 2025
In a country riven by deep inequalities, however, opportunity for some came at a loss for others.
—Literary Hub, 29 Sep. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for riven
Recent Examples of Synonyms for riven
Verb
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The outage stems from a lapse in federal funding during the shutdown that began at the end of September, which temporarily disrupted FLAG access and paused the processing of employer applications.—
Billal Rahman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 Nov. 2025
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Of 763 water systems on the island, 641 were disrupted.—
Dinah Voyles Pulver,
USA Today,
4 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Yet, asked specifically about the fine hairs separating the top three undefeated teams in this first ranking, Mack Rhoades, the committee chair and athletic director at Baylor, sounded like a man torn between numbers and gut feelings.—
Dana O’Neil,
CNN Money,
5 Nov. 2025
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Alexander suffered a season-ending torn PCL in his right knee in 2024.—
Brooks Kubena,
New York Times,
5 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Knapton’s garage had been broken into twice before, with dirt-bikes stolen, Lustig said.—
Darcie Moran,
Freep.com,
7 Nov. 2025
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In this scenario, both satellites would be broken into thousands of pieces of space debris.—
Chris Young,
Interesting Engineering,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Midway through the third quarter, true freshman linebacker Mason Posa, buried on the depth chart just weeks ago, ripped the ball loose at Washington’s 7-yard line and fell on it himself.—
Ira Gorawara,
New York Times,
9 Nov. 2025
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As a result of that low demand and a massive decline in sales, producers in the Golden State have ripped out nearly 40,000 acres of vines over the past year, according to a new report from the California Association of Winegrape Growers (CAWG).—
Nicole Hoey,
Robb Report,
8 Nov. 2025
Verb
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His backup fractured his ankle weeks later.—
Christopher Kamrani,
New York Times,
3 Nov. 2025
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The murder of George Floyd and the ensuing riots in 2020 had fractured the public’s trust in law enforcement.—
Eric Levenson,
CNN Money,
3 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Riven.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/riven. Accessed 9 Nov. 2025.
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