verb / noun
rip
RIP/rɪp/
To tear apart with force.
She grabs the wrapping paper and rips it open.
Etymology
Middle English rippen included pulling out sutures as well as tearing apart. The modern sense retains that forceful separation, though the word’s earlier origin is uncertain.
In context
they've been starting fires with the fences that were once there. They rip them apart and build fires back in there.
More examples
- He ripped his shirt on a sharp branch.
- There is a long rip in the tent.
- The wind rips through the narrow alley.
Forms
rip · rips · ripped · ripping