tear apart

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

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
My new novel, Star-Crossed Summer, follows two young actors who fall in love while filming a movie set in a South Carolina beach town, only to be torn apart by fame, ambition and a secret that unravels everything. — Devon Daniels, PEOPLE, 5 July 2026 The state lawmaker said grommets were ripped out, and the flags torn apart at the seams. — Lance Reynolds, Boston Herald, 4 July 2026 Other footage showed residents sheltering near a metro station as strikes hit the capital, as well as heavy damage across Kyiv, including residential buildings torn apart and thick smoke hanging over parts of the city. — Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 2 July 2026 Written by Luis Valdez, Olmos plans to direct the movie about secret lovers, one Japanese-American and one Mexican-American, whose lives are torn apart by Pearl Harbor. — Addie Morfoot, Variety, 2 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for tear apart

Rhymes for tear apart

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Browse Nearby Words

tearage
tear apart
tear around
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Cite this Entry

“Tear apart.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tear%20apart. Accessed 10 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on tear apart

Nglish: Translation of tear apart for Spanish Speakers

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