1
: to remove from place by violence : wrest
2
: to split or tear apart or in pieces by violence
3
: to tear (the hair or clothing) as a sign of anger, grief, or despair
4
a
: to lacerate mentally or emotionally
b
: to pierce with sound
c
: to divide (something, such as a nation) into contesting factions
Examples of rend in a Sentence
They rent the cloth to shreds.
mourners rending their clothes in grief
Recent Examples on the Web
It’s hushed, melancholy and rending in all the best ways.
—
John Wenzel, Denver Post, 16 July 2025
Dallas keeps bringing up last year’s six-game win over Colorado in an apparent effort to buck up themselves and their despondent fans, who are rending their garments over a meaningless seven-game losing streak to end the season.
—Mark Lazerus, New York Times, 20 Apr. 2025
In lesser hands, this might be one of those theatrical pieces that offers a nice excuse for actors to rend garments and gnash teeth onscreen — the sort of cinéma du Off-Broadway favored by microbudget indie directors and arthouse die-hards.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 6 Sep. 2024
The cuts will rend apart the truss section and send the pieces plunging into the river, unpinning the Dali.
—Christine Condon, Baltimore Sun, 8 May 2024
See All Example Sentences for rend
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John Wenzel, Denver Post, 16 July 2025
Dallas keeps bringing up last year’s six-game win over Colorado in an apparent effort to buck up themselves and their despondent fans, who are rending their garments over a meaningless seven-game losing streak to end the season.
—Mark Lazerus, New York Times, 20 Apr. 2025
In lesser hands, this might be one of those theatrical pieces that offers a nice excuse for actors to rend garments and gnash teeth onscreen — the sort of cinéma du Off-Broadway favored by microbudget indie directors and arthouse die-hards.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 6 Sep. 2024
The cuts will rend apart the truss section and send the pieces plunging into the river, unpinning the Dali.
—Christine Condon, Baltimore Sun, 8 May 2024
See All Example Sentences for rend
Cite this Entry
“Rend.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rend. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
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