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
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Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of tatter
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
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
See All Example Sentences for tatter
Verb
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
Noun
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
See All Example Sentences for tatter
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tatter
Verb
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Governor Phil Murphy responded Thursday night to a deadly line of severe thunderstorms that tore through Central New Jersey, killing three people and leaving tens of thousands without power.—
Amanda Castro,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 July 2025
-
The bodies of the doctor, his wife, daughter and son-in-law, arrived at Shifa Hospital torn into pieces, according to Issam Nabhan, head of the nursing department at the Indonesian Hospital.—
arkansasonline.com,
arkansasonline.com,
3 July 2025
Noun
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Zoé | 2024 | Canada | Rémi St-Michel | Midwest Premiere | The remaining shreds of Zoe’s mind desperately cling to her vague memories of better feelings.—
Matthew Carey,
Deadline,
25 June 2025
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To date, despite all these ideas, there hasn’t been a single shred of solid evidence for the existence of axions, which naturally drops them down a peg or two on the credibility scale.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
25 June 2025
Verb
-
Trump tear-gasses children, rips them from their parents, and deports farmworkers.—
Martha McHardy,
MSNBC Newsweek,
12 July 2025
-
Trees that are 100 years old just ripped out of the ground.—
Joey Garrison,
USA Today,
12 July 2025
Noun
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The injury was severe -- a complete break across her femur with multiple fragments.—
Doc Louallen,
ABC News,
11 July 2025
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Not even fragments of bones showed up in their feces, the team found.—
Mark Price
July 11,
Miami Herald,
11 July 2025
Noun
-
For context, massive flooding in New York City was caused by the remnants of Hurricane Ida (2021).—
Marshall Shepherd,
Forbes.com,
11 July 2025
-
The remnants of an ancient community face a new age of anxiety after decades of uneasy coexistence with the mullahs’ regime.—
Roya Hakakian,
The Atlantic,
10 July 2025
Noun
-
Amazon The Amazon Echo Dot (5th Gen) looks like the regular Echo, but miniaturized to be a fraction of the size.—
Simon Hill,
Wired News,
10 July 2025
-
Flossy’s virtual assistant, Fiona, significantly reduces operational expenses, performing 24/7 duties at a fraction of human staffing costs.—
Jaime Catmull,
Forbes.com,
10 July 2025
Noun
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Kimmel said the country has an oversupply domestically of scrap metal, if U.S. companies cannot export.—
Susan Tompor,
Freep.com,
3 July 2025
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Any small scraps left behind after cleaning can also cause sparks during cooking.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
27 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 18 Jul. 2025.
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