tattered 1 of 2

tattered

2 of 2

verb

past tense of tatter
as in ripped
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

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 tattered
Adjective
What if standing up to Trump is the very thing that saves the Liberal Party, and Trudeau’s tattered legacy? Talib Visram, TIME, 7 Feb. 2025 But the tattered state of the alliance system is not Trump’s doing alone. Mira Rapp-Hooper, Foreign Affairs, 10 Feb. 2020 With tattered cardboard signs directing cars and a makeshift sense of professionalism, the system was clear. Cerys Davies, Los Angeles Times, 17 Jan. 2025 Footage shown on local and national TV news showed a tattered segment of the pier floating on the swell with at least one person walking across the debris. Tom Tapp, Deadline, 23 Dec. 2024 See All Example Sentences for tattered
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tattered
Adjective
  • The square of white cloth was about to be sewn into a bigger pieces displaying political messages, but the ragged edges didn't neatly line up with the other pieces.
    Trevor Hughes, USA Today, 7 May 2025
  • Musk: Tesla not on ‘ragged edge of death’ Musk dismisses the idea that the company is in any serious financial distress.
    Chris Isidore, CNN Money, 28 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Her devotees are still sweating through workouts at a faded gym in Queens.
    Alex Vadukul, New York Times, 21 May 2025
  • It’s all come a long way from Tennant’s time in a house of eight girls at university, laundry drying racks layered with shapeless, faded underwear.
    Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 20 May 2025
Verb
  • But the Hawks’ present-day problems ripped them right back into the here and now.
    Phil Thompson, Chicago Tribune, 1 Jan. 2025
  • Milton’s hurricane-force winds ripped trees from already soggy soils, but its historic rain also flooded neighborhoods that had never experienced waters so high.
    Jack Prator, Orlando Sentinel, 30 Dec. 2024
Adjective
  • Photo: New York Magazine Bartsch leads the pack, dancing on a speaker (her favorite spot), wearing cutoff shorts, white leggings, red suspenders, and a frayed and cropped jean jacket with holes in the shoulders.
    Amy Virshup, Vulture, 14 May 2025
  • After years of hostile and frayed relations, Iran and Saudi Arabia have agreed to reestablish diplomatic ties and reopen mutual embassies – a deal reportedly brokered by China that has raised eyebrows across the globe.
    Caitlin McFall, Fox News, 21 Mar. 2023
Verb
  • The Carolina Panthers’ outside linebacker tore his quad on Christmas Eve last year in what turned out to be his final game with the Minnesota Vikings.
    Joseph Person, The Athletic, 24 Dec. 2024
  • In its first game without Sixth Man of the Year candidate Moe Wagner, who tore the ACL in his left knee on Saturday, Orlando relied on a wide variety of scorers, with five finishing in double figures.
    Jason Beede, Orlando Sentinel, 24 Dec. 2024
Verb
  • Later Cardini shredded the leaves into bite-sized pieces.
    John Mariani, Forbes, 8 Jan. 2025
  • One vice that Simpson shredded in 2020 was her battle with alcohol.
    Gord Magill, Newsweek, 21 Dec. 2024

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Cite this Entry

“Tattered.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tattered. Accessed 4 Jun. 2025.

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