rend
verb
ˈrend 
rent ˈrent also rended ˈren-dəd ; rending
also rended ˈren-dəd ; rending transitive verb
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
intransitive verb
1
: to perform an act of tearing or splitting
2
: to become torn or split
Synonyms
- ribbon
- rip
- rive
- shred
- tatter
- tear
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
They rent the cloth to shreds. mourners rending their clothes in grief
Recent Examples on the Web That's what Jonah craves after a particularly painful moment that Snyder delivers with rending clarity. 
Melinda Morris, NOLA.com, 10 July 2017 Such a move would rend a global deal that has been hailed as historic, throwing into question the fate of global climate policy and, diplomats say, the credibility of the United States. Coral Davenport, New York Times, 2 Mar. 2017 Although there are scenes of shocking cruelty, mostly involving Law’s character, Ritchie always pulls his camera away at the bloodiest moments, rending the PG-13 barbarity more theoretical. Michael O'sullivan, The Denver Post, 12 May 2017
Melinda Morris, NOLA.com, 10 July 2017 Such a move would rend a global deal that has been hailed as historic, throwing into question the fate of global climate policy and, diplomats say, the credibility of the United States. Coral Davenport, New York Times, 2 Mar. 2017 Although there are scenes of shocking cruelty, mostly involving Law’s character, Ritchie always pulls his camera away at the bloodiest moments, rending the PG-13 barbarity more theoretical. Michael O'sullivan, The Denver Post, 12 May 2017 Word History
Etymology
Middle English, from Old English rendan; akin to Old Frisian renda to tear and perhaps to Sanskrit randhra hole
First Known Use
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1
Kids Definition
rend
verb
ˈrend
rent
ˈrent
; rending : to tear apart by force
rends
verb
as in rips
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
Relevance
- rips
- tears
- shreds
- rives
- tatters
- breaks
- cleaves
- ribbons
- splits
- ruptures
- cuts
- slashes
- lacerates
- gashes
- dissects
- mangles
- dismembers
- incises
- butchers
- hacks