shredded; shredding; shreds
1
transitive
: to cut or tear (something) into shreds
shredded the documents
2
transitive
: demolish sense 2
… sharp lawyers shredding hapless witnesses on live television …—
Charles Krauthammer
Charles Krauthammer3
intransitive
: to come apart in or break into shreds
The cloth had shredded.
4
a
intransitive
: to ski or engage in a board sport (such as snowboarding, skateboarding, or surfing) with exceptional skill
At its regular meeting Monday, the Cullman City Council signed off on constructing a place where skateboarders can … shred … and ollie to their hearts' content.—Benjamin Bullard
Benjamin Bullard
b
transitive
: to shred on (a surface)
For fans of snow sports, Beach Mountain Resort, Sugar Mountain Resort and Appalachian Ski Mountain offer sweet powdery slopes to shred.—Luke Weir
Luke WeirAt one point, Paul was thought by many to be the best surfer on the planet, a guy who had the rare ability to totally shred waves with radical moves and yet do it very gracefully and with a beautiful flowing style.—Corky Carroll
Corky Carroll5
transitive + intransitive
: to play an electric guitar with great skill and speed
She shreds on guitar and has the voice of an angel.—Rachel Stone
Rachel Stone… this child musician has to be able to shred the guitar at an adult, professional level.—Kerry Clawson
Kerry Clawson6
shredder
noun
Synonyms
Examples of shred in a Sentence
Noun
The wallpaper is in shreds.
His reputation was in shreds after the arrest.
He struggled to retain a shred of his dignity.
Verb
Shred the cabbage and add it to the salad.
shredded some cooked chicken for the soup
Recent Examples on the WebKarla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 25 Apr. 2024
Elements of such surprise will reveal themselves Saturday at noon, at USC’s spring game, which is free to the public, where loyalists will stream in in droves for a glimpse at a new-look-roster in Trojan-on-Trojan competition – and also any shreds of defensive hope after the debacle that was 2023.
—Luca Evans, Orange County Register, 19 Apr. 2024
The rapidly shifting disease landscape needs new solutions, and researchers in Brazil delivered the lone shred of good news in this story with the recent announcement that a clinical trial of a new dengue vaccine, delivered in a single shot, had provided strong protection against the disease.
—Stephanie Nolen, New York Times, 11 Apr. 2024
The meat, though flavorful, erred on the side of saltiness, with the shreds of meat being a tad bit too long.
—Emily Curiel, Kansas City Star, 2 Apr. 2024
Collecting the shreds of his family Loay Ayyoub for The Washington Post via Getty Images
The details are graphic.
—Daniel Estrin, NPR, 24 Feb. 2024
How are Democrats responding? Mia Ehrenberg, a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security, said in February after the House vote that the impeachment did not have a shred of evidence or legitimate constitutional grounds.
—Claudia Grisales, NPR, 9 Apr. 2024
Years later when a shred of aircraft aluminum and the rubber heel from a woman’s shoe were found on an island 400 miles from Earhart’s destination, she was imagined to have been a castaway.
—Thomas Curwen, Los Angeles Times, 13 Mar. 2024
If Sprinkle is the pick, UW fans would have good reason for a shred of optimism heading into the Big Ten.
—Jon Wilner, The Mercury News, 15 Mar. 2024
Bart Jansen, USA TODAY, 12 Apr. 2024
Jaws dropped at Legendary and Warner Bros. when Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire opened to $80 million in North America over Easter weekend despite getting shredded by critics.
—Pamela McClintock, The Hollywood Reporter, 8 Apr. 2024
Have fun terrifying the family by lighting ‘em up off the line and shredding to 60 in 3 seconds flat.
—Sean Evans, Robb Report, 5 Apr. 2024
Grate potatoes and onion using shredding disk attachment on a food processor or large holes of a box grater.
—Julia Levy, Southern Living, 28 Mar. 2024
Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky were devastated by tornadoes shredding through the Midwest Thursday.
—John Tufts, The Indianapolis Star, 15 Mar. 2024
Unsurprisingly, Gordon shreds plenty of avant-rock noise into the mix, along with nebulous, shoegazey textures and an arresting, disaffected vocal that is equal parts Migos and, well, Kim Gordon.
—Jazz Monroe, Pitchfork, 8 Mar. 2024
The company says its Newport facility will continue handling collections, sorting and shipping once shredding stops.
—The Enquirer, 3 Apr. 2024
Santee residents can drop off unwanted household items and have paper shredded.
—Linda McIntosh, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Mar. 2024
Noun
This is because certain ingredients are added by the manufacturers to extend the shelf life and keep the shreds separated.
—Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 25 Apr. 2024
Elements of such surprise will reveal themselves Saturday at noon, at USC’s spring game, which is free to the public, where loyalists will stream in in droves for a glimpse at a new-look-roster in Trojan-on-Trojan competition – and also any shreds of defensive hope after the debacle that was 2023.
—Luca Evans, Orange County Register, 19 Apr. 2024
The rapidly shifting disease landscape needs new solutions, and researchers in Brazil delivered the lone shred of good news in this story with the recent announcement that a clinical trial of a new dengue vaccine, delivered in a single shot, had provided strong protection against the disease.
—Stephanie Nolen, New York Times, 11 Apr. 2024
The meat, though flavorful, erred on the side of saltiness, with the shreds of meat being a tad bit too long.
—Emily Curiel, Kansas City Star, 2 Apr. 2024
Collecting the shreds of his family Loay Ayyoub for The Washington Post via Getty Images
The details are graphic.
—Daniel Estrin, NPR, 24 Feb. 2024
How are Democrats responding? Mia Ehrenberg, a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security, said in February after the House vote that the impeachment did not have a shred of evidence or legitimate constitutional grounds.
—Claudia Grisales, NPR, 9 Apr. 2024
Years later when a shred of aircraft aluminum and the rubber heel from a woman’s shoe were found on an island 400 miles from Earhart’s destination, she was imagined to have been a castaway.
—Thomas Curwen, Los Angeles Times, 13 Mar. 2024
If Sprinkle is the pick, UW fans would have good reason for a shred of optimism heading into the Big Ten.
—Jon Wilner, The Mercury News, 15 Mar. 2024
Verb
Document shredding versus interrupting an official meeting Congress approved the law in 2002 as part of an overhaul of the financial system.
—Bart Jansen, USA TODAY, 12 Apr. 2024
Jaws dropped at Legendary and Warner Bros. when Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire opened to $80 million in North America over Easter weekend despite getting shredded by critics.
—Pamela McClintock, The Hollywood Reporter, 8 Apr. 2024
Have fun terrifying the family by lighting ‘em up off the line and shredding to 60 in 3 seconds flat.
—Sean Evans, Robb Report, 5 Apr. 2024
Grate potatoes and onion using shredding disk attachment on a food processor or large holes of a box grater.
—Julia Levy, Southern Living, 28 Mar. 2024
Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky were devastated by tornadoes shredding through the Midwest Thursday.
—John Tufts, The Indianapolis Star, 15 Mar. 2024
Unsurprisingly, Gordon shreds plenty of avant-rock noise into the mix, along with nebulous, shoegazey textures and an arresting, disaffected vocal that is equal parts Migos and, well, Kim Gordon.
—Jazz Monroe, Pitchfork, 8 Mar. 2024
The company says its Newport facility will continue handling collections, sorting and shipping once shredding stops.
—The Enquirer, 3 Apr. 2024
Santee residents can drop off unwanted household items and have paper shredded.
—Linda McIntosh, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'shred.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near shred
Cite this Entry
“Shred.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shred. Accessed 29 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
shred
2 of 2 verb
shredded; shredding
: to cut or tear into shreds
shred paper
shred cabbage
shredder
noun
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