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
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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Meanwhile, air travel across the Middle East remains severely disrupted, with Qatar Airways, Emirates and Etihad all saying their operations continue to be suspended due to safety concerns.—
Lee Ying Shan,Anniek Bao,Victor Loh,
CNBC,
4 Mar. 2026
-
Evacuation flights have begun departing the UAE after airport closures that have disrupted some of the world’s busiest airports.—
Matthew Martin,
semafor.com,
3 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Trees were torn from their roots, and debris flew into the air.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
8 Mar. 2026
-
Until a ceasefire materializes, the Treasury market is likely to be torn between near-term inflation fears and the risk of economic deceleration later in the year.—
Michael MacKenzie,
Bloomberg,
8 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Escobar also met with a detainee from Ecuador who said his arm had been broken during a violent arrest by immigration agents in Minnesota.—
Morgan Lee,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Mar. 2026
-
For many residents, that promise was broken.—
Cameron Knight,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
8 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Nestor Reyes played a ball into the box that rolled out toward the top of the area, where Rodriguez ripped a shot into the left corner of the goal.—
NWA Democrat-Gazette,
Arkansas Online,
5 Mar. 2026
-
The sophomore rushed the puck into the offensive zone, cut toward the middle and ripped a shot that nailed the top corner and extended the lead to two.—
Jack Murray,
Boston Herald,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Celtics backup center Nikola Vucevic fractured his right ring finger Friday night and is expected to miss at least the next three weeks.—
Zack Cox,
Boston Herald,
8 Mar. 2026
-
Kurdish opposition parties both in Iran and across the region are fractured, with differing ideologies and competing agendas.—
John Calabrese,
The Conversation,
7 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Riven.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/riven. Accessed 11 Mar. 2026.
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