To shoot something multiple times and thus break it into pieces or destroy it. A noun or pronoun is used between "shoot" and "to ribbons." The gangsters shot the poor man to ribbons right on the doorstep of his house. Rebel soldiers shot the government building to ribbons during their attack.

Shot multiple times and thus broken into pieces or destroyed. Police found the gangster shot to ribbons. My car was parked outside of the bank during the robbery, and it ended up shot to ribbons during the ensuing gunfight with police.