1
as in fracturing
to cause to develop a hole, crack, or tear often in a sudden and forceful or violent way
She was out for the rest of the season after she ruptured a tendon.
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2
as in exploding
to develop a hole, crack, or tear often in a sudden and forceful or violent way
The pipeline ruptured, leaking thousands of gallons of oil. The fault could rupture during the next major earthquake. High blood pressure caused the blood vessels to rupture.
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Dissimilar Words
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Recent Examples of rupturing
As Hodges stood there, scared and vulnerable, the man grabbed his baton and bashed him on the head with it, rupturing his lip and smashing his skull.
—
Jamie Thompson, The Atlantic, 6 Jan. 2026
After rupturing his achilles, Olivier signed an Exhibit 10 contract with the Raptors.
—Alexandra Hurtado, PEOPLE, 6 Jan. 2026
It’s been a grueling process for veteran quarterback Deshaun Watson to get back on the field after rupturing his Achilles last season and then re-injuring it during the offseason.
—Cole Sullivan, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Dec. 2025
Compared to men, women also have a higher risk of an aneurysm rupturing—especially women over 55.
—Helen Carefoot, Flow Space, 5 Dec. 2025
That’s 18 months after the events of Season 4, which concluded with archvillain Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower) rupturing the metaphysical border between our reality and the alternate dimension known as the Upside Down, and four years from Season 1, which kicked off in November 1983.
—Alison Herman, Variety, 27 Nov. 2025
Research by John Gottman and colleagues shows that the most stable couples are those who can repair quickly after a rupture, within three minutes of a conflict, to be precise, so as to pre-emptively stop the conflict from rupturing into an uncontrollable one.
—Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 14 Sep. 2025
Neymar, 33, is Brazil’s all-time leading goalscorer but has not appeared for his national team since October 2023, when he was substituted against Uruguay after rupturing the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and meniscus in his left knee.
—Leon Imber, New York Times, 13 Sep. 2025
In his first public comments since rupturing his Achilles in May, Jayson Tatum shared a positive update on his arduous rehab process.
—Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 21 Aug. 2025
Jamie Thompson, The Atlantic, 6 Jan. 2026
After rupturing his achilles, Olivier signed an Exhibit 10 contract with the Raptors.
—Alexandra Hurtado, PEOPLE, 6 Jan. 2026
It’s been a grueling process for veteran quarterback Deshaun Watson to get back on the field after rupturing his Achilles last season and then re-injuring it during the offseason.
—Cole Sullivan, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Dec. 2025
Compared to men, women also have a higher risk of an aneurysm rupturing—especially women over 55.
—Helen Carefoot, Flow Space, 5 Dec. 2025
That’s 18 months after the events of Season 4, which concluded with archvillain Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower) rupturing the metaphysical border between our reality and the alternate dimension known as the Upside Down, and four years from Season 1, which kicked off in November 1983.
—Alison Herman, Variety, 27 Nov. 2025
Research by John Gottman and colleagues shows that the most stable couples are those who can repair quickly after a rupture, within three minutes of a conflict, to be precise, so as to pre-emptively stop the conflict from rupturing into an uncontrollable one.
—Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 14 Sep. 2025
Neymar, 33, is Brazil’s all-time leading goalscorer but has not appeared for his national team since October 2023, when he was substituted against Uruguay after rupturing the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and meniscus in his left knee.
—Leon Imber, New York Times, 13 Sep. 2025
In his first public comments since rupturing his Achilles in May, Jayson Tatum shared a positive update on his arduous rehab process.
—Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 21 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rupturing
Verb
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Demand for sports media production know-how has picked up with streaming players entering the mix and existing conglomerates fracturing.—
Jacob Feldman,
Sportico.com,
14 Jan. 2026
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Hemmed in by selfishness, alienation, and subcultural silos, the fracturing Flynns share a kinship with the casts of unhappy-family classics such as Philip Roth’s American Pastoral, Jonathan Franzen’s The Corrections, and Zadie Smith’s White Teeth.—
Gideon Leek,
The Atlantic,
13 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The overlapping relationships between the three, heightened by external narratives in the press and online, fester in isolation, eventually exploding into tragedy.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
6 Jan. 2026
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Yoo thinks the company lost momentum after the 2016 Galaxy Note 7 crisis, when exploding batteries forced a massive recall.—
Nicholas Gordon,
Fortune,
6 Jan. 2026
Verb
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As his career skyrocketed, Chalamet spent years quietly training — aided by an expert on the sport, Diego Schaaf — by pulling a table-tennis setup along to productions ranging from Dune to Wonka.—
David Canfield,
HollywoodReporter,
7 Jan. 2026
-
Notre Dame didn’t mess around in pulling all that material together, looking like a program with a plan before the portal opened.—
Pete Sampson,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
These bold compositions linger in the dense winter air, unfolding slowly rather than bursting with bright notes.—
Conçetta Ciarlo,
Vogue,
14 Jan. 2026
-
Is your play area bursting at the seams?—
Jennifer Prince,
Southern Living,
11 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Last year, the council deadlocked on several issues—from appointments to financial decisions, including the city budget—when interim Mayor Jacqueline Garcia-Roves was unable to cast a tie-breaking vote during her short term.—
Verónica Egui Brito,
Miami Herald,
13 Jan. 2026
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After breaking them in, my wide, flat feet remained pain-free and felt swaddled in comfort the entire time.—
Rylee Johnston,
PEOPLE,
13 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Federal officers fired tear gas Monday to break up a crowd of whistle-blowing bystanders in Minneapolis who showed up to see the aftermath of a car crash involving immigration agents, just a few blocks from where Good was fatally shot.—
WCCO Staff,
CBS News,
13 Jan. 2026
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San Francisco trailed 17-16 at halftime after blowing an early lead, but took over in the second half to cruise to a 41-23 win.—
Michael Nowels,
Mercury News,
12 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The mayor called on ICE agents to leave the city, asserting that federal immigration authorities were ripping families apart and sowing chaos on Minneapolis streets.—
Juliana Kim,
NPR,
7 Jan. 2026
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When Miller tried to grab the mother’s gun, Adams tried to pull him away from it, ripping Miller’s shirt.—
Michelle L. Quinn,
Chicago Tribune,
6 Jan. 2026
Verb
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McCoy earned first-team All-SEC recognition last season with four interceptions for the Vols after transferring from Oregon State before tearing his ACL during an offseason training session in January.—
Eddie Brown,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
15 Jan. 2026
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But the city should have realized the import of the UM dorms and the impact of tearing them down and referred the matter to the board for a public discussion, Carbonell and Lejeune say.—
Andres Viglucci,
Miami Herald,
15 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Rupturing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rupturing. Accessed 20 Jan. 2026.
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