tatters 1 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of tatter
as in tears
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

Relevance

tatters

2 of 2

noun

plural of tatter
1
as in shreds

Related Words
2
as in rags

Related Words

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for tatters
  1. tears
  2. shreds
  3. rags
  4. rips
  5. fragments
  6. clothing
  7. pieces
  8. threads
Verb
  • In a sense, the proof shows that a world in which love never returns is a world whose geometry tears itself apart—assuming, of course, the proof holds up.
    — Sam Macdonald, Scientific American, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Instead of wiping firmware, an adversary nudges a setpoint, edits a protection parameter, distorts a sensor feed—or shows the operator a calm screen while the equipment tears itself apart.
    — Julian Durand, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of tears
Noun
  • In contrast, when a previously obscure writer, Mia Ballard, was accused of using AI in her horror novel Shy Girl, her publisher launched an investigation, canceled the book, and left her reputation in shreds.
    — Will Oremus, The Atlantic, 27 Aug. 2026
  • The pork chop came with an unfamiliar vegetable, shreds of a green stalk.
    — Emma Cline, New Yorker, 9 Aug. 2026
Definition of shreds
Noun
  • The series translates the world of Asian male pageantry into a rags-to-riches competition format.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Parton’s rags-to-riches tale reads like a classic country music story-song.
    — RJ Smith, Los Angeles Times, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of rags
Verb
  • During a process called Hills capture, as a stellar binary orbits a supermassive black hole and the gravitational influence of the black hole rips the binary apart, ejecting one star while capturing the other.
    — Robert Lea, Space.com, 1 Sep. 2026
  • But the coyote has other plans and rips it up, forcing the matter to trial.
    — ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of rips
Noun
  • Outshine Fruit Bars recall Parent company Dreyer’s Grand Ice Cream voluntarily recalled several flavors of Outshine Fruit Bars in August due to possible glass fragments.
    — Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 3 Sep. 2026
  • In the case of large legacy companies, data often exists in separate fragments that are spread across different departments in the organization.
    — Roy Stephen Canivel, Footwear News, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of fragments
Noun
  • The family has several immediate needs, including clothing, food, personal items and help with temporary living expenses, Sharp said.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 7 Sep. 2026
  • The craft show attracted more than 300 artisans displaying handmade items, artwork, home décor, clothing, jewelry and gifts throughout downtown Frankfort, including paintings, yard art, wood carvings, suncatchers, candles and caramel apples.
    — Jim Dudlicek, Chicago Tribune, 6 Sep. 2026
Definition of clothing
Noun
  • San Francisco Animal Care & Control said the green parrot became stuck between two pieces of glass on a third-floor balcony of a building under construction.
    — Kat Filardi, USA Today, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Was Zeuxis’s imitation in this instance a case of gathering (breaking up the models, then collecting and aggregating pieces) or a case of transformation (merging and blending some parts or traits into a smooth and seamless new whole)?
    — Mario Carpo, Artforum, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of pieces
Noun
  • The system should be programmed to actively penalize source monopolies, forcing the engine to scrape a healthy mix of technical journalism, independent community forums (like Reddit threads), and video transcripts.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 4 Sep. 2026
  • The Complete List On the bright side, Season 1 told largely a complete story with just a few loose threads left, so fans will not be left hanging too much by the cancellation.
    — Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of threads
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.

Browse Nearby Words

tattering
tatters
tattle
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Tatters.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tatters. Accessed 9 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of stigma

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

A List of Most Commonly Confused Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 4
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
anagrams on a chalk board
Word Builder Quiz Vol. 2 Pick the letter that when added to a word will ma...
See All