TEAR Synonyms: 158 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How is the word 'tear' different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of tear are cleave , rend , rip , rive , and split . While all these words mean "to separate forcibly," tear implies pulling apart by force and leaving jagged edges. // tear up the letter

Q: When could 'cleave' be used to replace 'tear'?

In some situations, the words cleave and tear are roughly equivalent. However, cleave implies very forceful splitting or cutting with a blow. // a bolt of lightning cleaved the giant oak

Q: When can 'rend' be used instead of 'tear'?

While in some cases nearly identical to tear , rend implies very violent or ruthless severing or sundering. // an angry mob rent the prisoner's clothes

Q: In what contexts can 'rip' take the place of 'tear'?

The meanings of rip and tear largely overlap; however, rip implies a pulling apart in one rapid uninterrupted motion often along a line or joint. // ripped the shirt on a nail

Q: When is 'rive' a more appropriate choice than 'tear'?

The words rive and tear can be used in similar contexts, but rive occurs most often in figurative use. // a political party riven by conflict

Q: When would 'split' be a good substitute for 'tear'?

The words split and tear are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, split implies a cutting or breaking apart in a continuous, straight, and usually lengthwise direction or in the direction of grain or layers. // split logs for firewood

tear 1 of 2

noun

ˈter

Definition of tear

as in slit

a long deep cut repaired a tear in the theater curtain just before the start of the show

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

tear

2 of 2

verb

ˈter

as in to rip

to cause (something) to separate into jagged pieces by violently pulling at it angrily tore the letter to shreds

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in to yank

to separate or remove by forceful pulling tore the book from his hand

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

reattach

as in to speed

to proceed or move quickly she tore out of the room as soon as the phone started to ring

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How is the word tear different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of tear are cleave, rend, rip, rive, and split. While all these words mean "to separate forcibly," tear implies pulling apart by force and leaving jagged edges.

tear up the letter

When could cleave be used to replace tear?

In some situations, the words cleave and tear are roughly equivalent. However, cleave implies very forceful splitting or cutting with a blow.

a bolt of lightning cleaved the giant oak

When can rend be used instead of tear?

While in some cases nearly identical to tear, rend implies very violent or ruthless severing or sundering.

an angry mob rent the prisoner's clothes

In what contexts can rip take the place of tear?

The meanings of rip and tear largely overlap; however, rip implies a pulling apart in one rapid uninterrupted motion often along a line or joint.

ripped the shirt on a nail

When is rive a more appropriate choice than tear?

The words rive and tear can be used in similar contexts, but rive occurs most often in figurative use.

a political party riven by conflict

When would split be a good substitute for tear?

The words split and tear are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, split implies a cutting or breaking apart in a continuous, straight, and usually lengthwise direction or in the direction of grain or layers.

split logs for firewood

Example Sentences

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.

Recent Examples of tear

Noun

Through tears, Coroner Ainslie Kirkegaard thanked Jayde for her recollections. — ABC News, 22 Oct. 2026 Tyrese Haliburton needed the towel draped around his neck to dry the tears streaming down his cheeks. — Peter Finney Jr, Chicago Tribune, 22 Oct. 2026

Verb

The Magic were still without Anthony Black (right ankle sprain) on Wednesday night and will continue to be without Noah Penda (partially torn right hamstring) for an extended period. — Jason Beede, The Orlando Sentinel, 22 Oct. 2026 Kyrie Irving had 15 points for Dallas in his first regular-season game since tearing his left ACL in March 2025. — CBS News, 22 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for tear

Recent Examples of Synonyms for tear

Noun

John Whitney was this experimental filmmaker who had developed this technique called ‘slit scan,’ which would be a key element to the ‘Stargate’ sequence.

— David Fear, Rolling Stone, 22 Oct. 2026
The double-slit experiment, for example, is a classic setup where scientists send particles through two gaps in a screen and observe a resulting interference pattern, proving that the particles act as waves.

— Philipp Strasberg, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of slit

Verb

Paladin reaches the high-rise apartment from the episode’s opening and finds the shotgun-wielding man dead, with wings carved into the floor below him and one of his eyes ripped out.

— Tasha Robinson, Vulture, 21 Oct. 2026
Witnesses said the speeding car jumped over a sidewalk, knocked down a chain-link fence and ripped out another wooden fence before going airborne into the house.

— Tammy Mutasa, CBS News, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of rip

Noun

The album featured the sexy, chicken-scratch funk of the 1970s melted down to something slow and gooey next to early-morning comedown music for a ’90s-style sunrise in the chill-out room.

— Jack Denton, Vulture, 22 Oct. 2026
The ice cream shop, currently open in the Brookside area, is known for its small-batch, made-from-scratch French-style ice cream and rotating flavor lineup.

— Chris Higgins, Kansas City Star, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of scratch

Verb

Finally, grab 32% off the Eufy E340 Security Video Doorbell with Chime, providing dual 2K cameras and color night vision.

— Juhi Wadia, PC Magazine, 26 Oct. 2026
James scored 18 points, grabbed two rebounds and was a minus-22 going up against Paul Reed, and the 76ers were left to hope his presence at center was nothing more than a cameo.

— Dan Gelston, Los Angeles Times, 26 Oct. 2026

Definition of grab

Verb

Hundreds of workers will be scurrying around the downtown arena each day, ensuring the marathon run of events unfolds smoothly.

— Savannah Sicurella, AJC.com, 21 Oct. 2026
The Off Campus duo, Emma Watson, Hunter Schafer, Chase Infiniti, and Tyriq Withers, who all scurried off together to continue the already-memorable night elsewhere.

— Kelsey Stewart, Vogue, 18 Oct. 2026

Definition of scurry

Verb

While an ordinary walk might leave her mind racing toward work, looking for a particular color gave it something else to do, effectively putting all that other mental chatter on mute.

— Angela Haupt, Time, 20 Oct. 2026
Together, the symbols represent more than 280 years of racing history and state pride, officials say.

— Adam Thompson, CBS News, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of race

Browse Nearby Words

tea party

tear

tearaway

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Tear.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tear. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of tear

noun

verb

Synonym Chooser

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster on tear

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

grotesque

Popular in Grammar & Usage

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE

Popular

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes

Synonyms of tear

noun

verb

Synonym Chooser

Example Sentences

Phrases Containing tear

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster on tear

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

grotesque

Popular in Grammar & Usage

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE

Popular

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes