as in to tear
to cause (something) to separate into jagged pieces by violently pulling at it
the little boy tattered that blanket beyond repair by repeatedly yanking on it
Synonyms & Similar Words
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as in shred
Related Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of tatter
Nathan Taylor Pemberton, New York Times, 20 Jan. 2020
So where did Ransom’s tattered cozy knit end up after filming wrapped?
—Ale Russian, PEOPLE.com, 26 Dec. 2019
Kevin Barry, Harper's Magazine, 2 July 2024
Smith’s office is now consigned to assess the tatters in which the court’s ruling has left its prosecution and determine, like a homeowner after a tornado has touched down, what can be salvaged.
—Ruth Marcus, Washington Post, 1 July 2024
See All Example Sentences for tatter
Verb
Coming down that highway, one’s arrival was confirmed by a row of flag poles holding international flags, tattered and generally ignored.
—Nathan Taylor Pemberton, New York Times, 20 Jan. 2020
So where did Ransom’s tattered cozy knit end up after filming wrapped?
—Ale Russian, PEOPLE.com, 26 Dec. 2019
Noun
Rourke himself approached the street at this hour in suave array and manic tatters.
—Kevin Barry, Harper's Magazine, 2 July 2024
Smith’s office is now consigned to assess the tatters in which the court’s ruling has left its prosecution and determine, like a homeowner after a tornado has touched down, what can be salvaged.
—Ruth Marcus, Washington Post, 1 July 2024
See All Example Sentences for tatter
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tatter
Verb
-
The Canes have absolutely torn through the Eastern Conference en route to their third Cup Final appearance in franchise history.—
Matt Reigle,
FOXNews.com,
3 June 2026
-
Shooting in Los Angeles under a California tax credit this month, Little One watches as a sudden change in a child’s behavior threatens to tear a picture-perfect family apart.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
2 June 2026
Noun
-
Angie is made more complex inside a later version, who is bruised and angry, ready to rip any and everyone to shreds.—
David John Chávez,
Mercury News,
29 May 2026
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The camera locks Henri in its sights, catching his every empty boast and complicit deed as Hitler’s Final Solution looms, and offering nary a shred of redemption or reassurance.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
27 May 2026
Verb
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In standard laser designs, this structural stress causes the hyper-fast pulses to destabilize and rip themselves apart.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
3 June 2026
-
On the first pitch of his assignment, Lewis ripped a 91 mph cutter from Omaha’s Mitch Spence for a home run.—
Dan Hayes,
New York Times,
3 June 2026
Noun
-
Courtesy of Rizzotti Advisors The Egadi Islands, off the western coast of Sicily, feel almost untouched, as if the Mediterranean broke off a few fragments and left them in place.—
Spencer Elliott,
Forbes.com,
6 June 2026
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And unlike Ötzi’s long-dead gut bacteria, which left just broken, aging fragments of DNA behind, the yeasts seem to be alive and reproducing (albeit at, ahem, a glacial pace).—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
6 June 2026
Noun
-
Yi’s studio is filled with the remnants of her works.—
Jacqui Palumbo,
CNN Money,
29 May 2026
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There are several Star City tourism companies that offer packages to take an excursion to Moscow or have an extended stay in this strange remnant of another age.—
Jeff Spry,
Space.com,
27 May 2026
Noun
-
Most buyers won’t care whether the design language originated in Stuttgart or Shanghai if the result looks sleek, futuristic, and costs a fraction of a Taycan.—
Utkarsh Sood
June 05,
New Atlas,
5 June 2026
-
These mealtime shortcuts offer all of the flavor for a fraction of the prep time.—
Sonal Dutt,
PEOPLE,
3 June 2026
Noun
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Sneaking the scraps out the back door for their children showed that those working in the enslaver’s home gave value and meaning to leftovers for our children.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
8 June 2026
-
The trash may be full of sticky residues, sweet liquids, and food scraps that wasps like.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
6 June 2026
Noun
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The puzzle-like slats holding the barrel together, called staves, are often used in his creations, incorporated into cocktail muddlers and cigar rests, not to mention a recent life-size buffalo made from the spent barrel pieces.—
Arati Menon,
Condé Nast Traveler,
7 June 2026
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The siege lasted so long that a donkey's head sold for eighty pieces of silver, and a cup of dove's dung sold for five pieces of silver.—
Helaine Williams,
Arkansas Online,
6 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tatter.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tatter. Accessed 10 Jun. 2026.
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