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.
Before his first class even begins one morning in early March, a girl tears up over a social media post. Jackie Valley, Christian Science Monitor, 28 May 2025 The Redditor said that her mother-in-law started tearing up and her boss stood up to congratulate them. Sabrina Weiss, People.com, 19 May 2025 Star Joaquin Phoenix was tearing up as the applause continued. Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 16 May 2025 But Mayer has also been tearing up the minors, slugging .491, and is just waiting for his chance to play at Fenway. Dan Freedman, Forbes.com, 6 May 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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Tear up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tear%20up. Accessed 3 Jun. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!