rend
verb (used with object)
to separate into parts with force or violence.
were rending
-
past progressiveof rend.past progressive
Used to describe an ongoing action or continuous state that was happening at a specific time in the past.
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.
It seemed as if the Wolf and Human, in a final struggle for victory, were rending it apart.
From Dusty Star by Olaf Baker
The cavity it left bade fair to enlarge by nightfall, for the swelling wedges were rending another slab from its bedding with loud reports and the sudden etching of fissures.
From The Yoke A Romance of the Days when the Lord Redeemed the Children of Israel from the Bondage of Egypt by Elizabeth Miller
The anguish of remorse and love were rending her, but outwardly she was as calm as the two professionals who stood and pitied her.
From Shadows of Flames A Novel by Amélie Rives
She managed it with difficulty between the convulsions that were rending her.
From The Spenders A Tale of the Third Generation by Harry Leon Wilson
Slowly and painfully did Ebbo recover from his swoon, feeling as if the means of revival were rending him away from his brother.
From The Dove in the Eagle's Nest by Charlotte Mary Yonge
