rip 1 of 3

verb

ˈrip How to pronounce rip (audio)
Definition of ripnext
1
as in to tear
to cause (something) to separate into jagged pieces by violently pulling at it the dog ripped the sleeve of my shirt by grabbing it with his teeth

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in to slit
to penetrate with a sharp edge (as a knife) you can see where someone ripped the painting with a penknife

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3
as in to fly
to proceed or move quickly the car went ripping down the road

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in to yank
to separate or remove by forceful pulling rip a sheet off the pad of paper

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

rip

2 of 3

noun (1)

as in tear
a long deep cut the hoe left rips in the lawn

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rip

3 of 3

noun (2)

as in pervert
a person who has sunk below the normal moral standard something of a rip in his youth, he eventually settled down

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How is the word rip different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of rip are cleave, rend, rive, split, and tear. While all these words mean "to separate forcibly," rip implies a pulling apart in one rapid uninterrupted motion often along a line or joint.

ripped the shirt on a nail

When might cleave be a better fit than rip?

The synonyms cleave and rip are sometimes interchangeable, but cleave implies very forceful splitting or cutting with a blow.

a bolt of lightning cleaved the giant oak

When can rend be used instead of rip?

While the synonyms rend and rip are close in meaning, rend implies very violent or ruthless severing or sundering.

an angry mob rent the prisoner's clothes

When could rive be used to replace rip?

Although the words rive and rip have much in common, rive occurs most often in figurative use.

a political party riven by conflict

In what contexts can split take the place of rip?

While in some cases nearly identical to rip, split implies a cutting or breaking apart in a continuous, straight, and usually lengthwise direction or in the direction of grain or layers.

split logs for firewood

Where would tear be a reasonable alternative to rip?

In some situations, the words tear and rip are roughly equivalent. However, tear implies pulling apart by force and leaving jagged edges.

tear up the letter

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of rip
Verb
That transformation will have rip, current and boating impacts reaching the coast by Monday. —Garfield Hylton, The Orlando Sentinel, 15 Aug. 2025 Women in their late 30s and early 40s were out on the same street in crop tops and ripped short shorts. —Essence, 4 Aug. 2025
Noun
Seeing this, feels like getting caught in a rip tide and need saving! —Emily Trainham, FOXNews.com, 4 July 2025 Others received dirty comforters or shams with rips in the body or tearing seams. —Bestreviews, Mercury News, 24 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for rip
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rip
  1. tear
  2. slit
  3. fly
  4. yank
  5. slice
  6. hurry
  7. grab
  8. slash
Verb
  • The kids proceed to chase her through town before mercilessly tearing her apart.
    — Megan McCluskey, Time, 8 Aug. 2025
  • If Ennis moves up too quickly and has a bad outing against a top fighter at 154, fans and critics will not hesitate to tear him apart.
    — Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 8 Aug. 2025
Definition of tear
Verb
  • One of the attackers then proceeded to slit Forde’s throat using a 12-inch dagger as two other assailants stabbed him in the stomach in front of onlookers.
    — Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 6 June 2025
  • Before he was detained, police say, Cooksey threatened to slit an officer's throat.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 6 May 2025
Definition of slit
Verb
  • The next phase in the investigation will include interviewing employees and flying in experts, officials said.
    — Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 12 Aug. 2025
  • In June, the Florida Division of Emergency Management worked with Grey Bull Rescue, which Collins had been assisting from the Middle East, to fly people out of the region.
    — Romy Ellenbogen, Miami Herald, 12 Aug. 2025
Definition of fly
Verb
  • Rafael Devers came up next and yanked an 0-1 fastball up in the zone over the wall in right-center field.
    — Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 Aug. 2025
  • Sinner’s serve yanked him out to the left corner of the court.
    — Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 19 Aug. 2025
Definition of yank
Verb
  • To make this má là pig ear recipe, the ears are braised then thinly sliced, their cartilage softening into noodle-like ribbons.
    — Jessica Liang, Saveur, 6 Aug. 2025
  • The chicken is sliced and served alongside a half-dome of rice, which is cooked in chicken fat for maximum flavor.
    — Carolyn Burt, Oc Register, 5 Aug. 2025
Definition of slice
Verb
  • Young, who had to hurry because of Urias’ speed, picked the ball up with his bare hand, turned and fired an errant throw to first base, allowing Urias to reach.
    — Ryan Canfield, FOXNews.com, 16 Aug. 2025
  • Before the new regulations, says Annie Inglis, Marine Biology Presenter with Quark, the expedition crew would be hurrying to get guests in Zodiacs to try to get closer to a bear sighting like this.
    — Cassidy Randall, Forbes.com, 14 Aug. 2025
Definition of hurry
Verb
  • But Sunday, unfortunately for him, slipped away quickly as World No. 1 grabbed his fifth season title.
    — Devlina Sarkar, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Aug. 2025
  • Four prisoners had to take turns using a bunk bed just to grab a few hours of sleep.
    — Michael Collins, USA Today, 18 Aug. 2025
Definition of grab
Verb
  • The exigencies of World War II drastically slashed unemployment but did not improve living standards, and the wartime economy offered no guarantee against the reemergence of widespread joblessness when the conflict ended.
    — Foreign Affairs, Foreign Affairs, 19 Aug. 2025
  • Bregman is currently slashing .305/.387/.546 with a .933 OPS and 16 homers in 79 games.
    — Joey Copponi, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Aug. 2025
Definition of slash

Phrases Containing rip

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Cite this Entry

“Rip.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rip. Accessed 23 Aug. 2025.

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