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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of tatter
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
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
See All Example Sentences for tatter
Verb
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
Noun
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
See All Example Sentences for tatter
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tatter
Verb
-
Before 2014, the building was abandoned and MIA wanted to tear it down.—
Vinod Sreeharsha,
Miami Herald,
6 Sep. 2025
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While Bruce the shark tore through limbs, there were also conspiracy thrillers, period dramas, counterculture satires, and deeply anti-authority crime flicks to rule the roost.—
Christina Newland,
Vulture,
5 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Destroyed in one second by my mother, its shreds tossed into the garbage can under the sink.—
Miriam Toews
September 3,
Literary Hub,
3 Sep. 2025
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But shreds of the original were repurposed and reimagined into a new statement.—
Katya Soldak,
Forbes.com,
2 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Sometimes the stories were ripped from the headlines, capitalizing on media frenzy.—
Jourdain Searles,
HollywoodReporter,
7 Sep. 2025
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The Padres ripped him for six runs on six hits over 3 2/3 innings.—
Patrick Saunders,
Denver Post,
7 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Police and shark biologists are analyzing Psillakis’s body and fragments of his surfboard, as well as speaking with witnesses, to determine the shark species, 9News added.—
Laura Sharman,
CNN Money,
7 Sep. 2025
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The team's model demonstrated that turbulence, or irregular motion, in giant collapsing gas clouds can form lower-mass cloud fragments from which lower-mass stars condense.—
Luke Keller,
Space.com,
7 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The walls are the only remnants of the old hotel site.—
Heather Richardson,
Travel + Leisure,
6 Sep. 2025
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British archaeologists recently found the remnants of a 17th-century house where Isaac Newton’s mother lived – not far from the site of his famous apple tree.—
Andrea Margolis,
FOXNews.com,
6 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The tradeable PGIs would give market participants legally enforceable ownership of vaulted gold and allow traders to buy fractions of 400-ounce bars for the first time, according to Mike Oswin, global head of market structure and innovation at the WGC.—
Chloe Taylor,
CNBC,
7 Sep. 2025
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After retraining, the AI model consistently rejected harmful queries, even when operating with only a fraction of its original structure.—
Bojan Stojkovski,
Interesting Engineering,
7 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Using faux chenille, a fabric manipulation technique that creates layered textures, Threadapeutic produces richly tactile works that can take three months to complete, such as Gather and Shore wall hangings made from lace, brocade and tulle scraps.—
Y-Jean Mun-Delsalle,
Forbes.com,
7 Sep. 2025
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Groot and the city worked together on a food and yard waste collection program last fall, which included two locations at which residents could drop off their scraps for free.—
Carolyn Stein,
Chicago Tribune,
6 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The council is only one piece of PacSun’s broader creator strategy.—
Jamie Gutfreund,
Forbes.com,
9 Sep. 2025
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Add one to your fall wardrobe before the classic pieces sell out.—
Jacqueline Tempera,
PEOPLE,
9 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Tatter.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tatter. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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