tear apart
phrasal verb
tore apart; torn apart; tearing apart; tears apart
1
: to completely destroy (something) by tearing it into pieces
I couldn't open the box nicely, so I just tore it apart.
—often used figurativelyThe 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.
2
: 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
The tremors caused significant damage to roads, tearing apart tarmac and buckling infrastructure.
—
Hannah Parry, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Mar. 2025
An element of violence was appropriate for an era torn apart by war, civil rights unrest and epic environmental degradation, but Goode redeemed the tumult through art.
—Christopher Knight, Los Angeles Times, 27 Mar. 2025
If that isn’t pressure enough, the women are faced with a mysterious traitor who emerges, years later, as the three friends are torn apart.
—Clare Mulroy, USA Today, 25 Mar. 2025
This could change, the researchers explain, if Sagittarius A* were to pull in and tear apart a gas cloud, star or even a small dwarf galaxy.
—Kevin Sabet, Newsweek, 24 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tear apart
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Hannah Parry, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Mar. 2025
An element of violence was appropriate for an era torn apart by war, civil rights unrest and epic environmental degradation, but Goode redeemed the tumult through art.
—Christopher Knight, Los Angeles Times, 27 Mar. 2025
If that isn’t pressure enough, the women are faced with a mysterious traitor who emerges, years later, as the three friends are torn apart.
—Clare Mulroy, USA Today, 25 Mar. 2025
This could change, the researchers explain, if Sagittarius A* were to pull in and tear apart a gas cloud, star or even a small dwarf galaxy.
—Kevin Sabet, Newsweek, 24 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tear apart
Cite this Entry
“Tear apart.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tear%20apart. Accessed 9 Apr. 2025.
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