1
as in to destroy
to bring to a complete end the physical soundness, existence, or usefulness of
vandals tore down the wooden fence blocking the entrance to the beach
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2
as in to demolish
to destroy (as a building) completely by knocking down or breaking to pieces
the new owners apparently bought the house just to tear it down and build a lavish mansion in its place
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Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of tear down
Four Caterpillar excavator machines are lined up and ready to tear down a former juvenile jail in downtown Detroit.
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Jc Reindl, Detroit Free Press, 18 Dec. 2024
People tore down posters and statues of the Assads, who first came to power in 1970, and stormed their palaces, filming their collections of luxury cars and emerging with their family albums, furniture and other trophies.
—The Week Uk, theweek, 14 Dec. 2024
Several buildings have been torn down as a result of the scandal, and the country’s Architect Certification Law was revised.
—Elizabeth Stamp, Architectural Digest, 25 Dec. 2024
Four dams were torn down—the largest undertaking of its kind in U.S. history—to restore the Klamath River in California and Oregon to its historic flow.
—Joe Spring, Smithsonian Magazine, 20 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for tear down 
Jc Reindl, Detroit Free Press, 18 Dec. 2024
People tore down posters and statues of the Assads, who first came to power in 1970, and stormed their palaces, filming their collections of luxury cars and emerging with their family albums, furniture and other trophies.
—The Week Uk, theweek, 14 Dec. 2024
Several buildings have been torn down as a result of the scandal, and the country’s Architect Certification Law was revised.
—Elizabeth Stamp, Architectural Digest, 25 Dec. 2024
Four dams were torn down—the largest undertaking of its kind in U.S. history—to restore the Klamath River in California and Oregon to its historic flow.
—Joe Spring, Smithsonian Magazine, 20 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for tear down
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tear down
Verb
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Some 12,000 structures — buildings and cars — have been destroyed so far, and with them many tons of property of all levels of sentimental meaning.Steven Zeitchik, The Hollywood Reporter, 15 Jan. 2025
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This year, however, will be a much more muted affair, as the Palisades and Eaton Fires have destroyed thousands of homes, killed 25 people and forced more than 150,000 residents to evacuate.Ethan Millman, Rolling Stone, 15 Jan. 2025
Verb
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The plan is a major change for Jackson Memorial Hospital, which would demolish two office buildings across from a Metrorail station in 2027 to make way for affordable and workforce housing in two towers filled with shops, a hotel and more than 800 apartments.Michelle Marchante, Miami Herald, 10 Jan. 2025
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At least one of the buildings was soon to be demolished altogether, its red-brick walls dumped into its 1921 foundation.Jon Marcus, NPR, 8 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Well, Neptune and his Wildcats might just be ruining the convenient narrative.CJ Moore, The Athletic, 9 Jan. 2025
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However, for some, gambling is an addiction that can ruin lives and families.Don Sweeney, Kansas City Star, 9 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Hannah, a 5-foot-11 guard, also pulled down 18 rebounds while Emma scored all but two of her 24 points in the second half.Jeff Metcalfe, The Mercury News, 8 Jan. 2025
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And the movie pulled down an ensemble nod, cementing its standing in the best picture race and maybe offering some hope that Chalamet can prevail over Brody for the lead actor Oscar, becoming the youngest winner ever in the category.Glenn Whipp, Los Angeles Times, 8 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Today, that internationalist consensus has shattered.Charles A. Kupchan, The Atlantic, 10 Jan. 2025
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With Houston shattering records at San Diego High School and Wiggins starring at La Jolla Country Day, the two made America’s Finest City the nation’s premier destination for women’s college basketball recruiters in 2004.Kyle Kensing, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Jan. 2025
Verb
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For so long, the Steelers needed Watt to put on his cape and wreck a game to steal a win against a top-tier opponent.Mike DeFabo, The Athletic, 9 Jan. 2025
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The new proposal would allow homeowners to down trees with trunks smaller than 18 inches in diameter, anything wrecked by a hurricane or during hurricane cleanup, anything considered diseased or damaged and anything non-native — a massive expansion of current policy.Alex Harris, Miami Herald, 7 Jan. 2025
Verb
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What Happened in Hawaii? In August 2023, the Hawaiian town of Lahaina, on the northwest coast of the island of Maui, was devastated by a raging wildfire which killed 102 people and displaced thousands.Michael Gfoeller And David H. Rundell, Newsweek, 15 Jan. 2025
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Our friends and our neighbors have lost homes, and entire communities have been devastated, and there’s still more work to do.Patrick Hipes, Deadline, 14 Jan. 2025
Verb
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That smashed the government’s forecast of 6.5% growth for the year, as well as last year’s growth figure of 5.05%. Exports, driven by electronics, smartphones, and garments, grew 14.3% in 2024 to reach $405.5 billion, and that helped drive Vietnam’s growth.Alena Botros, Fortune Asia, 6 Jan. 2025
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That was a record handle, smashing the previous year’s Super Bowl wagering in the state by $32 million.Jay Ginsbach, Forbes, 6 Jan. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Tear down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tear%20down. Accessed 18 Jan. 2025.
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