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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of tatter
Hanna Flanagan, PEOPLE.com, 3 Dec. 2019
This store, along with other Starbucks locations throughout the city, would fall prey to similar assaults during the day, leaving dozens of storefronts defaced and tattered.
—Grady McGregor, Fortune, 2 Oct. 2019
Chandler Rome, The Athletic, 15 July 2024
San Francisco is in a struggle to redefine itself after the pandemic left it in economic tatters and highlighted its longstanding problems with homelessness, drugs and property crime.
—Janie Har, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Feb. 2024
See All Example Sentences for tatter
Verb
So where did Ransome’s tattered cozy knit end up after filming wrapped?
—Hanna Flanagan, PEOPLE.com, 3 Dec. 2019
This store, along with other Starbucks locations throughout the city, would fall prey to similar assaults during the day, leaving dozens of storefronts defaced and tattered.
—Grady McGregor, Fortune, 2 Oct. 2019
Noun
Their pitching staff then turned to tatters, heightening the importance of an offense that must mask it.
Including Tucker, seven of Houston’s qualified hitters finished the first half with an OPS+ of 100 or higher.
—Chandler Rome, The Athletic, 15 July 2024
San Francisco is in a struggle to redefine itself after the pandemic left it in economic tatters and highlighted its longstanding problems with homelessness, drugs and property crime.
—Janie Har, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Feb. 2024
See All Example Sentences for tatter
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tatter
Verb
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And yes, this means that even a T. rex could have been more inclined to saunter around and maybe jog, rather than tearing across the land at top speeds of 27-29 km/h (17-18 mph).—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
24 June 2025
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Hurricane Ian tore through the original building his family had operated for decades.—
Christina Kelso,
New York Times,
24 June 2025
Noun
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The material underfoot was dark brown and appeared to be a mix of wood chips and woody debris, dotted with cast-off rubber and plastic — the shred of a Spalding basketball here, a purple plastic squirrel there.—
Susanne Rust,
Los Angeles Times,
11 June 2025
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In a shred of goods news, final sales to private domestic purchasers — a key gauge of underlying demand in the economy — accelerated to 3% in the first quarter from 2.9% in the fourth quarter.—
Bryan Mena,
CNN Money,
30 Apr. 2025
Verb
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If Powell and the Fed are dovish (more rate cuts, not less), stocks could easily rip higher.—
Adam Sarhan,
Forbes.com,
18 June 2025
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All-Time Anniversary Twelve years ago, Ray Allen hit The Shot On this date, back in 2013, one of the greatest shots in basketball history ripped through the net.—
Zach Harper,
New York Times,
18 June 2025
Noun
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The bulk of the work is usually left to the cast: the routine version of a movie involves pictures of actors acting, like audiovisual fragments of plays.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
13 June 2025
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During their excavations, the scientists also found several artifacts, including charcoal and fragments of broken ceramics.—
Sarah Kuta,
Smithsonian Magazine,
10 June 2025
Noun
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The researchers used remnants of coral species that only live in shallows very near the sea surface.—
David Bressan,
Forbes.com,
19 June 2025
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This removes ghosting, which happens when new content appears on screen but the display still shows remnants of previous content.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
18 June 2025
Noun
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If some of the plans to tax billionaires more that have been proposed recently were in effect, his tax bill for last year would have likely more than tripled but would still be a small fraction of his net worth.—
Phoebe Liu,
Forbes.com,
28 June 2025
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The consolidation of wealth amongst a miniscule fraction of the Earth’s population continues, contributing to the conditions for the global rise of facism.—
Kayti Burt,
Time,
27 June 2025
Noun
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But compared to Paul’s clash with Mike Perry and Nate Diaz, this scrap with Chavez Jr. doesn’t seem to be moving the needle as much.—
Brian Mazique,
Forbes.com,
26 June 2025
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Use food scraps to make broth, then compost the leftovers to make fertilizer.—
Andrea Beck,
Better Homes & Gardens,
25 June 2025
Noun
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Mazzoli created a lush score that was alternately sweeping or intimate, sensuous or mystical, yet with a distinctive sound that was her own weaving a thread through the piece.—
Janelle Gelfand,
Cincinnati.com,
19 July 2017
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This is why the war stories of Tom Clancy are such convincing and moving pieces of fiction.—
Janine Barchas,
Washington Post,
18 July 2017
Cite this Entry
“Tatter.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tatter. Accessed 1 Jul. 2025.
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