tear up

verb

tore up; torn up; tearing up; tears up

transitive verb

1
: to damage, remove, or effect an opening in
tore up the street to lay a new water main
2
: to perform or compete with great success on, in, or against
couples tearing up the dance floor
a batter who's tearing up the league

Examples of tear up 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.
Pretty much everything in game is discovered by tearing up the terrain, but that also presented its own challenges. Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 10 July 2025 According to Smith, this project would be cheaper because pavement would not need to be torn up. Kansas City Star, 5 July 2025 In 1836, rioters raided the office of James G. Birney’s abolitionist newspaper, The Philanthropist, tore up the papers, broke up the type and tossed the press into the river. Jeff Suess, The Enquirer, 2 July 2025 Myth: Tornadoes don't pass through mountains or lakes Belles said mountains can tear up tornadoes or storm clouds but will not stop them. Katie Wiseman, The Courier-Journal, 2 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for tear up

Word History

First Known Use

1620, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of tear up was in 1620

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Cite this Entry

“Tear up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tear%20up. Accessed 19 Jul. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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