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
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Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tatters
Verb
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If the oyster tears slightly, don’t panic; flavor matters much more than perfection.—
Rai Mincey,
Southern Living,
10 Mar. 2026 -
His scientist creator, Victor Frankenstein, reluctantly agrees, but at the last moment tears the unfinished mate limb from limb as the creature watches on in horror.—
Leah Dolan,
CNN Money,
6 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The shreds will quickly soften in a few minutes at room temperature.—
Alana Al-Hatlani,
Southern Living,
10 Mar. 2026
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Serve the sandwiches with frozen French fries jazzed up with bits of parsley, coarse salt, black pepper, and parmesan shreds.—
Tribune Content Agency,
Baltimore Sun,
4 Mar. 2026
Noun
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This weekend, the two will face off in England’s FA Cup, putting Chelsea’s half-decade business rollercoaster on the same field as Wrexham’s rags-to-riches rocket ride.—
Justin Birnbaum,
Sportico.com,
6 Mar. 2026
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Wrexham’s Hollywood script Ridiculous rise, incredible achievements, two very likeable owners and a working-class town and club reborn by one of modern football’s most famous rags-to-riches tales.—
Tim Spiers,
New York Times,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
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It’s generally accepted that John rips Carolyn’s engagement ring off her finger in the park, and returns it when sitting on the curb.—
Radhika Seth,
Vogue,
27 Feb. 2026
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Costarring Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas and Elle Fanning, the film rips open the emotional wounds that are often left by one's parents.—
Patrick Ryan,
USA Today,
26 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Complicating any assessment of the incident is the lack of images of bomb fragments from the blast.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
10 Mar. 2026
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Researchers analyzed 85 pottery sherds, of which 58 had identifiable fragments of plants.—
Sam Peters,
CNN Money,
9 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Holland made only a few cosmetic moves ahead of Friday’s trade deadline, shipping out forwards Corey Perry and Warren Foegele for draft picks and adding Scott Laughton and Mathieu Joseph, depth pieces, neither of whom are signed beyond this season.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Mar. 2026
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These are problem-solving pieces that save space, simplify outfits, and make getting from gate to getaway feel effortless.—
Chaise Sanders,
Travel + Leisure,
8 Mar. 2026
Noun
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His regular customers did not mention anything — not a surprise from clientele who know not to share classified information — but Esparza has been around long enough to sense that the Marines who were coming in to replace gear like sleeping bags and warm clothing were preparing to ship out.—
Hannah Fry,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Mar. 2026
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Global textile production now exceeds 120 million metric tons annually, yet less than 1 percent of clothing is recycled back into new fibers.—
Alexandra Harrell,
Sourcing Journal,
9 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Avoid placing meat scraps or sweet foods such as fruit and fruit peels in compost piles.—
Stephen Underwood,
Hartford Courant,
11 Mar. 2026
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The trash may be full of sticky residues, sweet liquids, and food scraps that wasps like.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
11 Mar. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Tatters.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tatters. Accessed 12 Mar. 2026.
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