Thesaurus results for REND

Q: How is the word 'rend' different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of rend are cleave , rip , rive , split , and tear . While all these words mean "to separate forcibly," rend implies very violent or ruthless severing or sundering. // an angry mob rent the prisoner's clothes

Q: When can 'cleave' be used instead of 'rend'?

While the synonyms cleave and rend are close in meaning, cleave implies very forceful splitting or cutting with a blow. // a bolt of lightning cleaved the giant oak

Q: When might 'rip' be a better fit than 'rend'?

Although the words rip and rend have much in common, rip implies a pulling apart in one rapid uninterrupted motion often along a line or joint. // ripped the shirt on a nail

Q: Where would 'rive' be a reasonable alternative to 'rend'?

The words rive and rend can be used in similar contexts, but rive occurs most often in figurative use. // a political party riven by conflict

Q: In what contexts can 'split' take the place of 'rend'?

The synonyms split and rend are sometimes interchangeable, but 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

Q: When is 'tear' a more appropriate choice than 'rend'?

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

rend

verb

ˈrend

Definition of rend

as in to rip

to cause (something) to separate into jagged pieces by violently pulling at it the prophecy that the disaster would cause people to rend their garments in mourning

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Synonym Chooser

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

Some common synonyms of rend are cleave, rip, rive, split, and tear. While all these words mean "to separate forcibly," rend implies very violent or ruthless severing or sundering.

an angry mob rent the prisoner's clothes

When can cleave be used instead of rend?

While the synonyms cleave and rend are close in meaning, cleave implies very forceful splitting or cutting with a blow.

a bolt of lightning cleaved the giant oak

When might rip be a better fit than rend?

Although the words rip and rend have much in common, rip implies a pulling apart in one rapid uninterrupted motion often along a line or joint.

ripped the shirt on a nail

Where would rive be a reasonable alternative to rend?

The words rive and rend can be used in similar contexts, but rive occurs most often in figurative use.

a political party riven by conflict

In what contexts can split take the place of rend?

The synonyms split and rend are sometimes interchangeable, but 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

When is tear a more appropriate choice than rend?

In some situations, the words tear and rend 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 rend More notable still, perhaps, is the fact that calling for the release of the Epstein files has seemed to cut across the myriad divisions rending the Democratic Party. — Jon Allsop, New Yorker, 24 Apr. 2026 Guthrie’s willingness to take part in an interview with a visibly emotional Kotb was heart-rending. — Brian Steinberg, Variety, 3 Apr. 2026 The emotional tribute paid homage to some of the most heart-rending high-profile deaths of the past year, including Diane Keaton, Robert Redford, and Rob Reiner, each of whom received their own dedicated homage. — Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 16 Mar. 2026 The sagas of Icelanders—plotty, laconic, often heart-rending—constitute one of the oldest literatures in any language still commonly spoken. — Literary Hub, 11 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for rend

Recent Examples of Synonyms for rend

Verb

The images her sister captured after the strike show the trajectory of the projectile, which ripped through floor after floor, and left a gaping hole covered in a thick layer of white dust.

— Ava Bambuck, CNN Money, 6 Aug. 2026
As if it were ripped from a movie script, Crow-Armstrong slugged a leadoff home run in the first — just as Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani had in the top of the inning to cap a 10-pitch at-bat against Shota Imanaga.

— Meghan Montemurro, Chicago Tribune, 6 Aug. 2026

Definition of rip

Verb

It’s been more than a year since Slater tore his patellar tendon during a seemingly routine training camp drill.

— Elliott Teaford, Oc Register, 11 Aug. 2026
Sometimes, this is a single natural disaster, an act of God—like the avalanche that tore through Kirwin in 1907.

— Téa Obreht, Condé Nast Traveler, 11 Aug. 2026

Definition of tear

Browse Nearby Words

renascences

rend

render

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Rend.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rend. Accessed 13 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of rend

verb

Synonym Chooser

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster on rend

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

salvo

Popular in Grammar & Usage

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

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Popular in Wordplay

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

'Gaslighting,' 'Woke,' 'Democracy,' and Other Top Lookups

Popular

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

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

Games & Quizzes