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 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.
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

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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, 22 Jan. 2025 After the world was torn apart by nationalism and conflict, countries agreed to sacrifice some aspects of their sovereignty for the common good. Christian Edwards, CNN, 21 Jan. 2025 Iran’s nuclear program previously attacked In July 2020, a mysterious explosion tore apart Natanz’s advanced centrifuge assembly, which Iran blamed on Israel. Jon Gambrell, Los Angeles Times, 15 Jan. 2025 The aftermath of the attack has strained relations between the United States and Israel, while the Democratic Party at home threatens to be torn apart by anti-Israeli activists, both within Congress and playing out on campuses across the country. Washington Examiner Staff, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 9 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for tear apart 

Dictionary Entries Near tear apart

Cite this Entry

“Tear apart.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tear%20apart. Accessed 16 Feb. 2025.

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