TEAR DOWN Synonyms: 170 Similar and Opposite Words

tear down

verb

Definition of tear down

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 down And not all old things need to be torn down for the sake of Charlotte’s growth. — Charlotte Observer, 16 Oct. 2026 Whether the commenter ever followed through on the challenge is still unclear, but SZA had something to say to people who think tearing down someone else’s artwork is worth a lot of their time. — Alicia Urrea, Billboard, 15 Oct. 2026 At the time, LeVota said the plan could involve tearing down one or both stadiums. — Dylan Lysen, Kansas City Star, 7 Oct. 2026 Jenny Silbert had to tear down her passion fruit vine along with a pergola on her urban farm. — Carolynn Carreño, Los Angeles Times, 7 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for tear down

Recent Examples of Synonyms for tear down

Verb

Cities outside Paris have been hit hard by the unrest, including Limoges where a fire nearly destroyed the 19th-century city hall.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 23 Oct. 2026
Animal diseases also threaten our economy and food system, destroying more than 20% of global livestock production each year.

— Robert Kelly, Fortune, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of destroy

Verb

The building’s owner previously told The Star the building would not be demolished and that it could be redeveloped.

— Chris Higgins, Kansas City Star, 20 Oct. 2026
The 18-year-old female elephant got loose from her handler outside her enclosure, then went on the run, demolishing the door of a saloon on North Avenue, smashing in the window of another and walking through the fence around a vacant lot.

— Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 18 Oct. 2026

Definition of demolish

Verb

Burdick seemed to have drawn directly from McCarthy’s experience, the hopelessness of fighting with his father over a world his father had already ruined, the surrender to indulgence and mindless violence because…why not?

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 20 Oct. 2026
Each room is also outfitted with a Yale smart lock, which means there’s no room for that horrible feeling of losing a room key to ruin your vacation.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of ruin

Verb

In a country so small and intimately connected, scarcely anyone was untouched by events that shattered the assumptions of a people whose nation was founded to give Jews a safe haven in their ancestral homeland.

— Eric Cortellessa, Time, 26 Oct. 2026
In fact, 2026 has already shattered the Biden-era record for the most number of days with $4 gas or higher.

— Matt Egan, CNN Money, 26 Oct. 2026

Definition of shatter

Verb

Just as Bryan’s own ascent began, alcoholism almost wrecked his fellow Oklahoma heroes, Turnpike Troubadours.

— Grayson Haver Currin, Pitchfork, 20 Oct. 2026
Some people make money, some people use the buzz to shore up a brand, and some people get their lives wrecked, but who falls into this last category comes down to bad luck more than to justice.

— B. D. McClay, New Yorker, 19 Oct. 2026

Definition of wreck

Verb

For two years, the war in Gaza devastated the Palestinian enclave, killed tens of thousands of people, and left Israeli hostages languishing in captivity.

— Eric Cortellessa, Time, 25 Oct. 2026
The rain is raising concerns in Altadena once again for families devastated by the Eaton Fire.

— Jasmine Viel, CBS News, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of devastate

Verb

Experts who are part of consultations expect the new policy to lay down clear and consistent rules, which will also help the industry overcome challenges around land acquisition and simplify a fragmented approval process.

— Priyanka Salve, CNBC, 22 Oct. 2026
The song addresses overcoming adversity and using others’ doubts to fuel your passion.

— Melinda Newman, Billboard, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of overcome

Verb

Protests last week devolved into mayhem, with people setting fires, storming public buildings, smashing shop windows, looting and clashing with police.

— ELITSA GADEVA, Arkansas Online, 24 Oct. 2026
Rioters last weekend smashed their way into stores, targeting sneakers, athletic wear and sporting goods on streets that run off the city’s central Duomo square.

— ABC News, ABC News, 24 Oct. 2026

Definition of smash

Browse Nearby Words

tearaways

tear down

teardrop

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Cite this Entry

Style

“Tear down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tear%20down. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of tear down

verb

Example Sentences

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