cepati

1. (of paper, cloth) to tear; to rip
   Nemoj da cepaš račune, trebaće nam. — Don't tear up the receipts, we'll need them.
   Pas stalno cepa jastuke kad ostane sam. — The dog keeps ripping pillows when it's left alone.
2. (of wood) to chop; to split
   Deda svake jeseni cepa drva za zimu. — Every autumn grandpa chops wood for the winter.
3. (of a group, country) to split; to divide
   Ta tema godinama cepa stranku. — That issue has been splitting the party for years.

The reflexive cepati se means "to tear" or "to split" (intransitively); perfectives include pocepati, iscepati, rascepati.