ripping

verb

Definition of rippingnext
present participle of rip
1
as in tearing
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 slicing
to penetrate with a sharp edge (as a knife) you can see where someone ripped the painting with a penknife

Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in rushing
to proceed or move quickly the car went ripping down the road

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 ripping The enterprises getting this right are not ripping out their suites. — Neerav Vyas, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 2026 Henry County officials are also investigating a possible tornado that moved through New Castle, Indiana, on Wednesday, toppling trees and ripping the roof off a commercial building. — Michelle Simmons, ABC News, 13 Aug. 2026 Safety Kendall Williamson jumped the pass and picked the ball off, ripping it away from Harris. — Daniel Popper, New York Times, 4 Aug. 2026 The best cornhole bags are ones that will last game after game without ripping or tearing. — Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 3 Aug. 2026 Video reviewed by OutKick showed one person ripping a T-shirt from another person’s hands, but did not appear to show anyone being struck or injured. — Dan Zaksheske Outkick, FOXNews.com, 3 Aug. 2026 As Hwang and her partner placed the ticket on the car’s windshield and were returning to their vehicle, the vehicle’s owner approached, yelling expletives and ripping the citation to pieces. — Kansas City Star, 31 July 2026 This video shows firefighters battling fierce flames ripping through vegetation, propelled, in part, by strong gusts of wind. — Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 27 July 2026 Nu Jazz put the effort in to really get underneath all these sounds, ripping out their guts and figuring out how to jam with the entrails. — Sam Goldner, Pitchfork, 23 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ripping
  1. tearing
  2. slicing
  3. rushing
  4. yanking
  5. slitting
  6. flying
  7. grabbing
  8. slashing
Verb
  • Kittle, seven weeks since tearing his right Achilles in a wild-card playoff win at Philadelphia, was seen conditioning with vigor and impressive agility on a side field earlier this week.
    — Cam Inman, Mercury News, 14 Aug. 2026
  • He was limited to playing seven games last season before tearing a knee ligament.
    — Maura Carey, Los Angeles Times, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of tearing
Verb
  • That’s because slicing okra into small pieces exposes more surface area, says Rice.
    — Kirsten Nunez, Martha Stewart, 7 Aug. 2026
  • The first murder is a girl slicing into her slumbering mother’s neck with a hacksaw; then her brother pounds his father’s face in with a baseball bat.
    — Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of slicing
Verb
  • Young had 1,390 yards rushing and 20 touchdowns last season, while adding 114 yards receiving and a score.
    — Gary Curreri, Sun Sentinel, 20 Aug. 2026
  • So be sure to use your discernment before rushing into something.
    — Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of rushing
Verb
  • The episode feinted toward genuine rapprochement before yanking the rug out, leaving the Gang pelted with an industrial-grade indoor blizzard and then happily chucking rocks at passing trains, as was Mac and Charlie’s childhood tradition.
    — Dennis Perkins, Entertainment Weekly, 28 July 2026
  • The tentacular Scylla is seen briefly but makes an impact, yanking sailors off Odysseus’s ship in a series of loud jump scares.
    — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 16 July 2026
Definition of yanking
Verb
  • The prosecutor said Tran tried to take his own life by slitting a wrist, cutting his neck and poking a blade into his stomach.
    — Sean Emery, Oc Register, 5 Mar. 2026
  • When Rochelle Luna, 18, arrived at the house hours later, Djerf bound, gagged and raped her before stabbing her and slitting her throat, court records said.
    — Elena Santa Cruz, AZCentral.com, 19 Sep. 2025
Definition of slitting
Verb
  • On the other is a relief depiction of a Kremlin in flames, with a drone flying over it.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 19 Aug. 2026
  • Over the coming months, avionics, scientific instruments and thermal insulation will gradually transform the frame into the flying science laboratory destined for the outer solar system.
    — Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of flying
Verb
  • The trio of founders allegedly told investors that the brand would feature an app as its centerpiece and be boosted by major advertising deals and attention-grabbing celebrity photo shoots and cover stories.
    — Kevin Dolak, HollywoodReporter, 14 Aug. 2026
  • One of the most attention-grabbing stars in the sky still keeps its secrets close—and that is one of the main reasons astronomers have so much fun studying it.
    — Phil Plait, Scientific American, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of grabbing
Verb
  • Deputies said suspect Viviana Rocha carried out her alleged tire-slashing spree in the 5000 block of Verdugo Way on Wednesday morning.
    — Matthew Rodriguez, CBS News, 14 Aug. 2026
  • With ancient Greek tale The Odyssey still slashing its way to peak box office, the sword and sorcery age remains a potent genre for Hollywood.
    — Borys Kit, HollywoodReporter, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of slashing

Browse Nearby Words

rippers
ripping
ripping off
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Cite this Entry

“Ripping.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ripping. Accessed 21 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of ripping for Spanish Speakers

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