ribbon 1 of 2

noun

ˈri-bən How to pronounce ribbon (audio)
Definition of ribbonnext
as in strip
a long narrow piece of material tied a silk ribbon in her hair

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ribbon

2 of 2

verb

as in to tear
to cause (something) to separate into jagged pieces by violently pulling at it over the years the historic flag had become badly ribboned by the wind

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of ribbon
Noun
Once Rome’s mayor cut the ribbon at the Stadium of the Marbles, visitors streamed in singing, chanting, waving flags. — ABC News, 27 June 2026 Dyer and other city officials pulled on rubber gloves and retrieved them, cutting open packages bound in plastic wrap and ribbons patterned like the American flag. — Rylan Digiacomo-Rapp, The Orlando Sentinel, 29 June 2026
Verb
Mesquite and acacia trees ribbon the lower elevations, while Douglas firs and ponderosa pine line the upper reaches. — Staff Author, Travel + Leisure, 1 May 2026 Eager to make connections with important people, Kapoor invited mayors to ribbon cuttings and doled outmore than $100,000 in campaign checks from corporate accounts, about half of which went to a political committee supporting a losing candidate in this November’s Miami Beach mayoral race. — Sarah Blaskey, Miami Herald, 16 Dec. 2025 See All Example Sentences for ribbon
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ribbon
  1. strip
  2. tear
  3. rip
Noun
  • The handle comes with one original Athena Club cartridge, which has a skin guard to prevent nicks and a hyaluronic acid serum strip.
    — Sara Coughlin, Allure, 5 July 2026
  • The strips are piled high in plastic bins, sprawled over tables and fed underneath bobbing needles.
    — Karissa Waddick, USA Today, 4 July 2026
Definition of strip
Verb
  • Shakespeare’s haughty Roman war hero, revered on the battlefield yet reviled by hungry plebeians, becomes the flash point in a young democracy tearing itself apart over power and sacrifice.
    — Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 1 July 2026
  • That tactic may situate this work within a lineage that includes Jacques Villeglé and Mimmo Rotella, artists who used swiped, torn ads during the postwar era.
    — Alex Greenberger, ARTnews.com, 30 June 2026
Definition of tear
Verb
  • On June 29, workers were seen installing a red carpet on the venue's signature stairs, only to rip it up a short time later.
    — Bryan West, USA Today, 2 July 2026
  • Four people died, including a 12-year-old boy, and several others were injured after at least three tornadoes ripped through that corner of the state.
    — Christina Zhang, CBS News, 1 July 2026
Definition of rip

Phrases Containing ribbon

Browse Nearby Words

ribbing
ribbon
ribboned
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Cite this Entry

“Ribbon.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ribbon. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on ribbon

Nglish: Translation of ribbon for Spanish Speakers

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