as in ripping
to cause (something) to separate into jagged pieces by violently pulling at it
shredded some cooked chicken for the soup
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Recent Examples of shredding
Prepare this dish by shredding the chicken and chopping the carrots and leeks up to two days in advance.
—
Kimberly Holland, Southern Living, 1 Mar. 2026
In the right hands, even the humblest city EV can become an unhinged, albeit highly entertaining, tire-shredding science experiment.
—Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 22 Feb. 2026
The mechanical process involves reclaiming and shredding pre-consumer footwear uppers in a closed-loop method to create ThermoPlume PrimaLoft ReRun material.
—Jennifer Bringle, Sourcing Journal, 9 Feb. 2026
Schools now can rethink their football status, which could mean shredding those schedules.
—Buddy Collings, The Orlando Sentinel, 6 Feb. 2026
Right now your cat is probably shredding your bedspread in a ravenous rage.
—Molly Aitken, New Yorker, 1 Feb. 2026
But for anyone seeking the kind of shredding catharsis that just can't be recorded, the crew have also planned a global farewell tour.
—Pitchfork, 23 Jan. 2026
Her adorable videos have gone viral several times — and most seem to highlight the fact that her kids are shredding the slopes at such a young age.
—Hannah Sacks, PEOPLE, 13 Jan. 2026
No, back in the day I’d start every ski season by shredding Dead Man’s Gulch, Pulverizer, Decapitator, and my other favorite double-black runs.
—Frederick Dreier, Outside, 2 Dec. 2025
Kimberly Holland, Southern Living, 1 Mar. 2026
In the right hands, even the humblest city EV can become an unhinged, albeit highly entertaining, tire-shredding science experiment.
—Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 22 Feb. 2026
The mechanical process involves reclaiming and shredding pre-consumer footwear uppers in a closed-loop method to create ThermoPlume PrimaLoft ReRun material.
—Jennifer Bringle, Sourcing Journal, 9 Feb. 2026
Schools now can rethink their football status, which could mean shredding those schedules.
—Buddy Collings, The Orlando Sentinel, 6 Feb. 2026
Right now your cat is probably shredding your bedspread in a ravenous rage.
—Molly Aitken, New Yorker, 1 Feb. 2026
But for anyone seeking the kind of shredding catharsis that just can't be recorded, the crew have also planned a global farewell tour.
—Pitchfork, 23 Jan. 2026
Her adorable videos have gone viral several times — and most seem to highlight the fact that her kids are shredding the slopes at such a young age.
—Hannah Sacks, PEOPLE, 13 Jan. 2026
No, back in the day I’d start every ski season by shredding Dead Man’s Gulch, Pulverizer, Decapitator, and my other favorite double-black runs.
—Frederick Dreier, Outside, 2 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shredding
Verb
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So, instead of ripping into Matthews for what happened overseas, the fans gave their veteran captain a round of applause before play resumed.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
2 Mar. 2026
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Last year, the majority in Washington, DC voted to slash Medicaid and SNAP by $1 trillion, ripping health care and food away from millions of our neighbors, family, and friends.—
DeJanay Booth-Singleton,
CBS News,
26 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Then, the new school lost one of its newest players when Kyle Fraser was medically evacuated after tearing his Achilles during the day 3 immunity challenge.—
Dalton Ross,
Entertainment Weekly,
4 Mar. 2026
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Coach Paul Maurice said captain Aleksander Barkov, who's recovering from tearing the ACL and medial collateral ligament in his right knee during training camp, is not expected back until at least late March.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
4 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Shredding.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shredding. Accessed 9 Mar. 2026.
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