tearing down

present participle of tear down
1
as in destroying
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

2

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 tearing down For the first time since general manager Joe Cronin began tearing down a playoff roster five years ago, the team is competent. Jason Quick, New York Times, 25 Oct. 2025 Demolition crews have begun tearing down the East Wing of the White House, clearing ground for a 90,000-square foot ballroom in the biggest White House expansion in more than 70 years. Jordan King, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Oct. 2025 While there have been reports of unpermitted construction that was halted and the tearing down of some buildings at Monster Lake, Pam Filtner noted in the Cowboy State Daily that the Bighorn Ranch structures have thankfully remained intact. Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 24 Oct. 2025 An Illinois State University faculty member was arrested after he was accused of flipping a Turning Point USA student group's table and tearing down promotional flyers on campus last week. Landon Mion, FOXNews.com, 19 Oct. 2025 Jaclyn Penn was disappointed to see the Leawood City Council vote in favor of tearing down the old City Hall building. Taylor O'Connor, Kansas City Star, 3 Oct. 2025 Lewis is learning how to be more present in a way that’s valuable to Jax and communicate in a way that’s building and not tearing down. Giana Levy, Variety, 18 Sep. 2025 Seconds after the anchors thanked Pulte for appearing and handed things off to Squawk on the Street, the production crew were tearing down the set and prepping for the opening bell. Alex Weprin, HollywoodReporter, 9 Sep. 2025 But the new private terminal is winning their support, with the backing of historians and preservationists who have been fighting to maintain South Florida’s aviation legacy in a region known for tearing down buildings. Vinod Sreeharsha, Miami Herald, 6 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tearing down
Verb
  • Continue reading … HISTORY HYPOCRITES – Hawley turns tables on reporter when asked if White House renovation is destroying history.
    , FOXNews.com, 24 Oct. 2025
  • Saving Denji’s life, Pochita and the young man make a deal to fuse, imbuing him with the ability to turn parts of his body into Devil-destroying chainsaws.
    Jack Smart, PEOPLE, 23 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • On Monday, The Washington Post reported that his construction crews have begun demolishing the facade of the White House’s East Wing to build a ballroom.
    Michelle Goldberg, Mercury News, 23 Oct. 2025
  • The White House is requiring at least some of the construction workers tasked with demolishing the East Wing to sign non-disclosure agreements barring them from discussing their work, according to a White House official and sources familiar with the project.
    Alexandra Hutzler, ABC News, 23 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The Chiefs have seen some of league’s premier running backs — such as Saquon Barkley, Derrick Henry and Jahmyr Gibbs — and have met each challenge, preventing those elite players from ruining the defensive game plan.
    Emily Curiel, Kansas City Star, 26 Oct. 2025
  • Clark reiterated his belief that the Dodgers are not ruining baseball.
    Evan Drellich, New York Times, 25 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Weiss began pulling down as much as $150,000 per engagement, a point of contention in the pro-Israel space, where advocates give speeches for free.
    Tatiana Siegel, Variety, 7 Oct. 2025
  • Many airlines are pulling down their operations at Newark, Bastian said, which reduces some of the congestion at the airport.
    Sydney Lake, Fortune, 7 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • That changed after Inter’s devastating 5–0 loss to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League final — the worst defeat in the competition’s history.
    Jordan Greene, PEOPLE, 20 Oct. 2025
  • Sol Price had relinquished his official leadership role, and Robert’s fifteen-year-old son had recently died of cancer, devastating the family.
    Molly Fischer, New Yorker, 20 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Advertisement The past few years have seen record-shattering global sea surface temperatures, which helps strengthen storms.
    Simmone Shah, Time, 28 Oct. 2025
  • Viewers are dropped into the aftermath of an unnamed personal conflict and must work out over the course of the runtime the stakes of the situation, a highwire act handled deftly by the actors whose tender performances provide the emotional impact of the film’s shattering final sequence.
    Christian Blauvelt, IndieWire, 24 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • That history came to an end after wrecking crews tore down the wing’s two stories of offices and reception rooms last week.
    Darlene Superville, Denver Post, 26 Oct. 2025
  • The big money takeover is wrecking college sports.
    , FOXNews.com, 20 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • While some were able to escape by smashing windows and jumping out of the vehicle, which was carrying 44 passengers, others were fatally burned, the officer said.
    Gabrielle Rockson, PEOPLE, 24 Oct. 2025
  • Once the Germans invaded their Soviet ally on June 22, 1941, smashing one division after another, the Soviets had to fight for their survival, and all thought of nuclear research was abandoned.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 23 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Tearing down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tearing%20down. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.

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