shreds 1 of 2

Definition of shredsnext
plural of shred

shreds

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of shred
as in rips
to cause (something) to separate into jagged pieces by violently pulling at it shredded some cooked chicken for the soup

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 shreds
Noun
Rather than melting, the tangy, creamy pimento cheese spread, with cheese shreds still intact, created a bright counterpoint to the charred Angus beef smash burger. Chiara Kim, PEOPLE, 31 Mar. 2026 The shreds will quickly soften in a few minutes at room temperature. Alana Al-Hatlani, Southern Living, 10 Mar. 2026 Serve the sandwiches with frozen French fries jazzed up with bits of parsley, coarse salt, black pepper, and parmesan shreds. Tribune Content Agency, Baltimore Sun, 4 Mar. 2026 Depending on the variety of marmalade, the rind can be cut into thick pieces or into tiny shreds. Amy Sherman, Martha Stewart, 8 Jan. 2026 Shooting stars appear when shreds of space debris ranging in size from a grain of sand to a small asteroid collide with Earth while travelling at tens of thousands of miles per hour, only to burn up in a fiery naked-eye display as they're overwhelmed by the friction of atmospheric entry. Anthony Wood, Space.com, 4 Dec. 2025 The Riverside native shreds lesser defenses beyond the arc and above the break. Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 3 Nov. 2025 Remove the skin, then use two forks to separate the meat into evenly-sized shreds. Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 3 Nov. 2025 Walston ripped up the card and let the shreds fall on Penn. Cameron Crowe, HollywoodReporter, 24 Oct. 2025
Verb
Trump admin official shreds NY Times over multiple corrections to report on Silicon Valley initiative. FOXNews.com, 31 Mar. 2026 Pour the soup mixture over the vegetables and continue to cook until the chicken easily shreds with a fork. Kimberly Holland, Southern Living, 5 Mar. 2026 This is the kind of corruption that shreds the fabric of a nation. Tim Dunn, Boston Herald, 26 Feb. 2026 This is the kind of corruption that shreds the fabric of a nation. Time Staff, Time, 25 Feb. 2026 The Food Processor quickly chops, slices and shreds a wide array of ingredients for unlimited culinary creations while the Coffee & Spice Grinder efficiently grinds coffee beans, spices and herbs for superior flavor and potency. Tory Johnson, ABC News, 16 Feb. 2026 In competition, Kim shreds with a glowing confidence. Aaron Tolentino, New York Times, 11 Feb. 2026 Williams cheerfully shreds the culture’s postlapsarian fantasies of childhood. Literary Hub, 10 Feb. 2026 The signal revealed to a team of scientists that LFBOTs are the result of extreme Tidal Disruption Events (TDEs), in which a black hole with a mass up to 100 times that of the sun, completely shreds a companion star in just a matter of days. Robert Lea, Space.com, 19 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shreds
Noun
  • The Braves didn’t make many offseason splashes but instead should get a lot of key players back to full health after a disastrous run of injuries throughout 2025.
    Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 21 Mar. 2026
  • The design here avoids ski-lodge clichés but maintains splendid common areas, including a cozy library and a grand lobby decorated with stone and wood finishes and splashes of rich red and orange hues.
    Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 21 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • Spanning 180 acres between four of the city’s most dynamic neighborhoods, Sunnyside Yard is a steel and asphalt scar that rips across Western Queens — serving those passing through, not those that call this borough home.
    Ben Guttmann, New York Daily News, 15 Mar. 2026
  • Above this playful mess of a beat, which includes a music box-like instrument that sounds partially broken, Shabaka rips out brief and noisy phrases on tenor sax.
    Mark Richardson, Pitchfork, 12 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • Keep an eye out for tiny brown or orange specks, especially around door edges, undercarriage and seams.
    Jenna Prestininzi, USA Today, 25 Mar. 2026
  • Learning how to apply mascara correctly can level up your whole eye look—but without the proper technique, even the best mascara can leave you with clumps, smears, or black specks across your face.
    Ariana Yaptangco, Glamour, 20 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • If the oyster tears slightly, don’t panic; flavor matters much more than perfection.
    Rai Mincey, Southern Living, 10 Mar. 2026
  • His scientist creator, Victor Frankenstein, reluctantly agrees, but at the last moment tears the unfinished mate limb from limb as the creature watches on in horror.
    Leah Dolan, CNN Money, 6 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • But there are glimmers of hope beyond the carnage, too.
    Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 30 Mar. 2026
  • Following three straight 100-loss seasons that led to a front-office house cleaning, Rockies fans are peering down the road for glimmers of hope.
    Kyle Newman, Denver Post, 26 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • In another part of the factory, a worker used a wooden stick, like a tongue compressor at a doctor’s office, to scrape excess bits of explosive out of the grooves inside each shell, ensuring that the base would screw on smoothly.
    Simon Shuster, The Atlantic, 27 Mar. 2026
  • Even more concerning than the plastic bits in our organs is the chemicals that come with them.
    Shanna Swan, New York Daily News, 27 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • Strong adults will let the littles (who really should not be skiing with their own poles yet in most cases) grab their pole.
    Moira McCarthy, Boston Herald, 25 Feb. 2026
  • There are a host of other things available to entertain your littles, tweens, and teens around town, including The Butterfly Conservatory, Eco-Discovery Center, Shipwreck Museum, and Truman Waterfront Park’s splash pad.
    Ronny Maye, Essence, 1 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • My grandmother’s version typically called just for the addition of generous sprinklings of Lawry’s garlic salt and black pepper—and that’s it.
    Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 5 Dec. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Shreds.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shreds. Accessed 3 Apr. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on shreds

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster