How to Use tear up in a Sentence

tear up

verb
  • The flags were torn up and thrown on the ground.
    — CBS News, 18 Dec. 2025
  • The bill was torn up and seemed like it’s lived a life.
    — Natalie Jamieson, Variety, 6 Dec. 2025
  • The holes are not on the greens, so they will not be torn up.
    — By Bill Van Smith, Miami Herald, 30 Jan. 2024
  • It was later found torn up a block away.
    — Lisa Gutierrez, Kansas City Star, 22 Aug. 2025
  • The house would remain torn up for a year.
    — J.c. Hallman, Oklahoma Watch, 22 Jan. 2026
  • Let’s cover the tiles that are torn up.
    — Kenneth R. Gosselin, Hartford Courant, 14 June 2026
  • Urie even appeared to tear up for his bud.
    — Bethy Squires, Vulture, 15 Sep. 2025
  • Those boys would have torn up anyone who got in their way then.
    — Daniyal Mueenuddin, New Yorker, 23 Nov. 2025
  • At least Fred looks truly torn up about his role in this tragedy.
    — Sophie Brookover, Vulture, 24 Apr. 2026
  • Though both of them tear up, neither of them openly cries.
    — Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 6 Mar. 2026
  • Turkeys can tear up mulch and lawns, and even damage your plants.
    — Michelle Mastro, Martha Stewart, 16 Apr. 2026
  • Frank wasn’t the only one tearing up.
    — James Mercadante, EW.com, 4 Aug. 2025
  • That tears up landscapes and tends to piss off a lot of people in the process.
    — Justine Calma, The Verge, 2 Mar. 2023
  • My breath catches, my eyes tear up, my hands fidget, and my heart races.
    — Erin Qualey, Vulture, 7 Feb. 2025
  • This fast-growing tree has a root system that will tear up your yard in no time.
    — Steve Bender, Southern Living, 30 Dec. 2025
  • Hall starts to tear up as his silver medal is confirmed — this means a lot to him.
    — Sean Nevin, NBC news, 10 Feb. 2026
  • And while this wheel might tear up the road, that’s exactly what it’s not made for.
    — Caroline Delbert, Popular Mechanics, 5 Nov. 2021
  • Why tear up the strategy if things were going so well?
    — Bloomberg, Mercury News, 2 Mar. 2026
  • The roster around him has also been torn up due to injuries.
    — Evan Massey, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 Nov. 2025
  • She was observed to be tearing up and shaking.
    — Aaron Katersky, ABC News, 9 Feb. 2026
  • She was observed to be tearing up and shaking.
    — Mike Toole, CBS News, 19 Dec. 2025
  • The strong winds downed trees and power lines and tore up outbuildings.
    — Elizabeth Walsh, Idaho Statesman, 3 July 2024
  • Big rocks tear up mowing equipment and the whirling blades throw the smaller rocks.
    — Frank Witsil, Detroit Free Press, 2 Sep. 2024
  • Next, tear up a package of mini croissants.
    — Mary Shannon Wells, Southern Living, 13 Feb. 2026
  • Next, tear up a package of mini croissants.
    — Mary Shannon Wells, Southern Living, 3 Oct. 2025
  • Mortified, Angela tears up the note and throws it in the trash.
    — Clare Sestanovich, The New Yorker, 6 Nov. 2023
  • In Rogers, no one was sure who had the authority to tear up the tracks.
    — Randy McCrory Vintage Bentonville, arkansasonline.com, 1 Feb. 2024
  • Stick to the Calabrian side and risk tearing up their ship on a rocky shoal.
    — Matt Robison, Newsweek, 20 Nov. 2024
  • And that’s the one moment on this day when Sabeen started tearing up.
    — Mark Woods, Florida Times-Union, 6 Feb. 2026
  • The camera then panned to Isabel, who was tearing up.
    — Rebecca Aizin, PEOPLE, 12 Jan. 2026

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'tear up.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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