tear apart
phrasal verb
tore apart; torn apart; tearing apart; tears apart
1
: to completely destroy (something) by tearing it into pieces
I couldn't open the box nicely, so I just tore it apart.
—often used figurativelyThe robbers tore apart the house looking for the money.
We tore the other team apart in yesterday's game.
We can't agree, and it's tearing our family apart.
2
: to criticize (someone or something) in a very harsh or angry way especially by describing weaknesses, flaws, etc.
The article tears apart the company's handling of the situation.
They tore him apart when he left.
Examples of tear apart in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Detecting an electromagnetic counterpart to a black hole tearing apart a neutron star is among the holy grails of astronomy and astrophysics.
—
Chad Hanna, The Conversation, 10 Sep. 2025
For them, domestic violence is a daily toll that takes over their lives, tears apart their families, and leaves lasting scars on themselves, their children, and their community.
—Marni Rose McFall King, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Sep. 2025
Wind shear—in which winds at different heights point in different directions, a phenomenon that can tear apart a brewing storm—has been a little high but not enough to prevent serious tropical activity if other factors align.
—Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 10 Sep. 2025
White dramatizes Gurudev’s encounters with FARC leaders during peace negotiations in Havana and Bogotá, while also following three young Colombians, Alberto, Carlos, and Francisco, whose lives are torn apart by violence.
—Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 9 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tear apart
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Chad Hanna, The Conversation, 10 Sep. 2025
For them, domestic violence is a daily toll that takes over their lives, tears apart their families, and leaves lasting scars on themselves, their children, and their community.
—Marni Rose McFall King, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Sep. 2025
Wind shear—in which winds at different heights point in different directions, a phenomenon that can tear apart a brewing storm—has been a little high but not enough to prevent serious tropical activity if other factors align.
—Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 10 Sep. 2025
White dramatizes Gurudev’s encounters with FARC leaders during peace negotiations in Havana and Bogotá, while also following three young Colombians, Alberto, Carlos, and Francisco, whose lives are torn apart by violence.
—Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 9 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tear apart
Cite this Entry
“Tear apart.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tear%20apart. Accessed 13 Sep. 2025.
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