1
as in disrupting
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 tearing
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for riving
Verb
-
Gangs control significant supply routes, disrupting access to medicine and equipment.—
Max Saltman,
CNN Money,
3 Apr. 2026 -
The cyberattack affected Stryker’s internal Microsoft software system, disrupting the company’s order processing, manufacturing and shipping.—
William Akoto,
The Conversation,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Carefully peel away parchment from bottom of cake (start from a long side where it might be embedded in the cake and pull gently to avoid tearing the cake); discard.—
Shilpa Uskokovic,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
1 Apr. 2026
-
Trump posted footage of the strike on Truth Social, in an uncaptioned video that shows explosions tearing through the night sky.—
Brendan Cole,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Satisfy your cravings without breaking your diet.—
Tory Johnson,
ABC News,
8 Apr. 2026
-
Democrats and Republicans in the Minnesota House on Tuesday filed dueling ethics complaints against members of the opposite party, accusing them of breaking the chamber's rules for conduct.—
Caroline Cummings,
CBS News,
8 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
One rabid mongoose bite later, and Ben is a skull-crushing, face-ripping menace terrorizing Lucy and her friends.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
4 Apr. 2026
-
Is all religion rubbish and still ripping us apart…?—
Andy Greene,
Rolling Stone,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
How are businesses identifying what is strengthening or fracturing among consumers, and what are early insights indicating about future growth?—
Semafor Events,
semafor.com,
5 Apr. 2026
-
Backup center Nikola Vucevic, who has been sidelined since fracturing his ring finger on March 6, was upgraded to questionable for Boston’s game against the Toronto Raptors at TD Garden.—
Zack Cox,
Boston Herald,
4 Apr. 2026
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Cite this Entry
“Riving.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/riving. Accessed 10 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
