rend
verb (used with object)
to separate into parts with force or violence.
rending
-
present participleof rend.present participle
A verb form that is used in progressive verb constructions and may also function as a modifier or a gerund.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
When I defended the author and the decision to run his op-ed, there was more rending of garments.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 26, 2026
But if the first go-rounds last year were tragedy—depressing stocks, spiking prices, and rending hearts in both countries—the latest skirmish is starting to look more like farce.
From Slate ● Aug. 25, 2026
Holley is volcanically self-expressive in his visual art, whether rending tiny wires into human profiles or planning massive statues from uncut granite and gleaming metal.
From Washington Post ● Mar. 10, 2023
At the time, police also arrested and charged Clemmons’ sister, his aunt, a cousin and his half-brother with a variety of crimes, including rending medical aid to the wounded Clemmons.
From Seattle Times ● Sep. 30, 2022
Out of the black sky there came dropping like a bolt a winged shape, rending the clouds with a ghastly shriek.
From "The Return of the King" by J.R.R. Tolkien
