shredded; shredding; shreds
1
transitive
: to cut or tear (something) into shreds
shredded the documents
2
transitive
: demolish sense 2
… sharp lawyers shredding hapless witnesses on live television …—
Charles Krauthammer
Charles Krauthammer3
intransitive
: to come apart in or break into shreds
The cloth had shredded.
4
a
intransitive
: to ski or engage in a board sport (such as snowboarding, skateboarding, or surfing) with exceptional skill
At its regular meeting Monday, the Cullman City Council signed off on constructing a place where skateboarders can … shred … and ollie to their hearts' content.—Benjamin Bullard
Benjamin Bullard
b
transitive
: to shred on (a surface)
For fans of snow sports, Beach Mountain Resort, Sugar Mountain Resort and Appalachian Ski Mountain offer sweet powdery slopes to shred.—Luke Weir
Luke WeirAt one point, Paul was thought by many to be the best surfer on the planet, a guy who had the rare ability to totally shred waves with radical moves and yet do it very gracefully and with a beautiful flowing style.—Corky Carroll
Corky Carroll5
transitive + intransitive
: to play an electric guitar with great skill and speed
She shreds on guitar and has the voice of an angel.—Rachel Stone
Rachel Stone… this child musician has to be able to shred the guitar at an adult, professional level.—Kerry Clawson
Kerry Clawson6
shredder
noun
Examples of shred in a Sentence
Noun
The wallpaper is in shreds.
His reputation was in shreds after the arrest.
He struggled to retain a shred of his dignity.
Verb
Shred the cabbage and add it to the salad.
shredded some cooked chicken for the soup
Recent Examples on the Web
Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 5 Mar. 2025
Waste management giant Veolia shreds blades into small pieces that go in kilns to replace the coal, sand and clay required to make cement.
—New Atlas, 14 Feb. 2025
Bailey Richards, People.com, 15 Mar. 2025
One-Pot French Onion Pasta Cook Mode (Keep screen awake)
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (6 oz.)
1 cup shredded Monterey jack cheese (4 oz.)
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 Tbsp. salted butter, melted
1 tsp.
—Sarah Martens, Better Homes & Gardens, 15 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shred
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Noun
When the last shreds of sunlight vanish, everyone pulls their car up to the field and turns on their headlights.
—Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 5 Mar. 2025
Waste management giant Veolia shreds blades into small pieces that go in kilns to replace the coal, sand and clay required to make cement.
—New Atlas, 14 Feb. 2025
Verb
As Journey founder Neal Schon, 71, shredded on guitar and lead singer Arnel Pineda, 57, took the crowd into the chorus, sound — along with some onstage visuals — stopped abruptly, leaving just audience voices echoing as confusion broke out, as seen in the footage.
—Bailey Richards, People.com, 15 Mar. 2025
One-Pot French Onion Pasta Cook Mode (Keep screen awake)
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (6 oz.)
1 cup shredded Monterey jack cheese (4 oz.)
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 Tbsp. salted butter, melted
1 tsp.
—Sarah Martens, Better Homes & Gardens, 15 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shred
Cite this Entry
“Shred.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shred. Accessed 22 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
shred
2 of 2 verb
shredded; shredding
: to cut or tear into shreds
shred paper
shred cabbage
shredder
noun
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