tear apart

phrasal verb

tore apart; torn apart; tearing apart; tears apart

: to completely destroy (something) by tearing it into pieces

I couldn't open the box nicely, so I just tore it apart.

—often used figuratively

The robbers tore apart the house looking for the money.

We tore the other team apart in yesterday's game.

We can't agree, and it's tearing our family apart.

: to criticize (someone or something) in a very harsh or angry way especially by describing weaknesses, flaws, etc.

The article tears apart the company's handling of the situation.

They tore him apart when he left.

Examples of tear apart in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

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There are arguments as families are torn apart under pressure and violence against hospital staff and emergencies within emergencies. —

Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 9 Jan. 2025 The clan is torn apart after one of their members commits an arson that goes terribly wrong. —

Michael Schaub, Orange County Register, 2 Jan. 2025 Avoid synthetic fabrics that may cause choking hazards if torn apart. —

Sara Hansen, The Denver Post, 13 Dec. 2024 Eggers counters that by deepening Ellen’s characterization, writing her as a woman more graphically torn apart by Nosferatu’s meddling and more distinctly driven to reclaim control over her own physicality and sexuality. —

Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 24 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for tear apart