shreds 1 of 2

Definition of shredsnext
plural of shred

shreds

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of shred
as in rips
to cause (something) to separate into jagged pieces by violently pulling at it shredded some cooked chicken for the soup

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of shreds
Noun
Depending on the variety of marmalade, the rind can be cut into thick pieces or into tiny shreds. Amy Sherman, Martha Stewart, 8 Jan. 2026 My search proved fruitful, so below you’ll find my top picks, including an air fryer that saves counterspace, a set of six dishcloths for $24, and a chopping gadget that also slices, grates, and shreds. Izzy Baskette, PEOPLE, 27 Dec. 2025 Shred It For Packaging Turn used wrapping paper into pretty paper shreds for future gifts. Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 25 Dec. 2025 Shooting stars appear when shreds of space debris ranging in size from a grain of sand to a small asteroid collide with Earth while travelling at tens of thousands of miles per hour, only to burn up in a fiery naked-eye display as they're overwhelmed by the friction of atmospheric entry. Anthony Wood, Space.com, 4 Dec. 2025 The Riverside native shreds lesser defenses beyond the arc and above the break. Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 3 Nov. 2025 Remove the skin, then use two forks to separate the meat into evenly-sized shreds. Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 3 Nov. 2025 Walston ripped up the card and let the shreds fall on Penn. Cameron Crowe, HollywoodReporter, 24 Oct. 2025 Nevertheless, Qi Chu had used the same smock since his first day at the morgue and worn it down to little more than shreds. Literary Hub, 23 Oct. 2025
Verb
The signal revealed to a team of scientists that LFBOTs are the result of extreme Tidal Disruption Events (TDEs), in which a black hole with a mass up to 100 times that of the sun, completely shreds a companion star in just a matter of days. Robert Lea, Space.com, 19 Dec. 2025 Onions and carrots become sweet and soft, while the beef shreds easily into juicy pieces. Renu Dhar, Southern Living, 24 Nov. 2025 The chicken shreds beautifully in this dish, and the vegetables become soft and tender. Sarah Martens, Better Homes & Gardens, 25 Oct. 2025 Extreme weather at the poles stresses crucial moss and lichen, and shreds entire habitats in hours. Marion Renault, The Atlantic, 29 Sep. 2025 Trump, by contrast, shreds regular procedures, shrugs off the expertise needed to bring policies to life, and promotes administrative incompetence in order to eliminate any authority other than himself. Russell Muirhead, Foreign Affairs, 5 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shreds
Noun
  • Those bright white tees seem to be absolute stain magnets attracting coffee drips, spaghetti sauce spots, and salad dressing splashes.
    Melissa Locker, Southern Living, 10 Jan. 2026
  • Atlas is also built to withstand harsh conditions, operating reliably in temperatures from -4°F to 104°F, and is waterproofed to protect it from splashes on factory floors.
    Sujita Sinha, Interesting Engineering, 9 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • Ben smashes chests and heads in, tears jaws out, rips faces off, and director Johannes Roberts makes sure to include brief close-ups of the carnage, lit just dimly enough to avoid truly grossing us out.
    Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 9 Jan. 2026
  • In the clip, Oshry, who welcomed her first son Reuben, with her husband, Ben Soffer, in May, reaches into her fridge to grab a head of cabbage, then rips open her animal-print bathrobe to show a compression bra stuffed with cabbage leaves.
    Cara Lynn Shultz, PEOPLE, 16 Dec. 2025
Noun
  • Their long, silvery-blue spiral arms are peppered with bright knots and specks, the telltale signposts of active, messy astrophysics in progress.
    Kenna Hughes-Castleberry, Space.com, 8 Jan. 2026
  • Microcalcifications appear as white specks and may indicate cancer in some cases.
    Lindsey Leake, NBC news, 3 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • This is definitely something that tears at your heartstrings.
    Alexandra Simon, CBS News, 8 Jan. 2026
  • These bags keep the items from experiencing friction that tears at the fibers.
    Ashlyn Needham, Southern Living, 29 Dec. 2025
Noun
  • In non-theme park play, the game revolves around Illumineers, glimmers, inklands, a lorebook and other buzzwords and actions that are important to players.
    Dewayne Bevil, The Orlando Sentinel, 15 Jan. 2026
  • From there, the glimmers of a more peaceful existence — one fueled by expression, not recklessness — give Lidia hope.
    Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times, 9 Jan. 2026
Noun
  • Beyond the gong, other bits of prop comedy give them cover to dive into more controversial topics.
    Julia Black, Vanity Fair, 8 Jan. 2026
  • The live show — featuring a famed blue-skinned, apparently bald and mostly silent trio — will feature classic Blue Man Group routines plus new bits that will be exclusive to the Orlando production.
    Dewayne Bevil, The Orlando Sentinel, 8 Jan. 2026
Noun
  • More than half of littles were developmentally ready for kindergarten.
    Teri Sforza, Oc Register, 4 Jan. 2026
  • Help littles understand the concept of gratitude and paying it forward in a fun way.
    Melissa Willets, Parents, 25 Dec. 2025
Noun
  • My grandmother’s version typically called just for the addition of generous sprinklings of Lawry’s garlic salt and black pepper—and that’s it.
    Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 5 Dec. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Shreds.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shreds. Accessed 17 Jan. 2026.

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