Synonyms of rend

rend

verb

ˈrend 

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

• rip
• tear
• shred
• rive
• ribbon
• break
• split
• cleave
• tatter
• cut
• rupture
• slash
• lacerate
• dissect
• incise
• mangle
• dismember
• butcher
• hack
• gash

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

Recent Examples of rend

The Twin Cities are home to the US’s largest diaspora from Somalia, a small Muslim-majority nation on the Horn of Africa that has been rent by decades of civil war and entrenched poverty. —Zoe Sottile, CNN Money, 5 Jan. 2026

There’s also a poem that Anders gave Winslet for Mother’s Day years ago, and which plays a pivotal role in Goodbye June’s heart-rending climax. —David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 25 Nov. 2025

It’s hushed, melancholy and rending in all the best ways. —John Wenzel, Denver Post, 16 July 2025

Dallas keeps bringing up last year’s six-game win over Colorado in an apparent effort to buck up themselves and their despondent fans, who are rending their garments over a meaningless seven-game losing streak to end the season. —Mark Lazerus, New York Times, 20 Apr. 2025