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
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
After Destiny’s Child broke up, Beyoncé secretly held onto the Górecki feeling, hoping one day to rend her heart openly, singing the saddest music ever to touch her soul (without breaking it).
—Rolling Stone, 2 Apr. 2024
The leader of the Cenobites can only invade Earth if the box is opened, but his attacks are some of the goriest captured on film: Metal hooks linked to chains obey Pinhead's commands and rend the flesh from his victims!
—Steven Thrash, EW.com, 19 Oct. 2023
See all Example Sentences for rend 
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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
After Destiny’s Child broke up, Beyoncé secretly held onto the Górecki feeling, hoping one day to rend her heart openly, singing the saddest music ever to touch her soul (without breaking it).
—Rolling Stone, 2 Apr. 2024
The leader of the Cenobites can only invade Earth if the box is opened, but his attacks are some of the goriest captured on film: Metal hooks linked to chains obey Pinhead's commands and rend the flesh from his victims!
—Steven Thrash, EW.com, 19 Oct. 2023
See all Example Sentences for rend
Dictionary Entries Near rend
Cite this Entry
“Rend.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rend. Accessed 26 Nov. 2024.
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