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
Everything was really torn apart.
—
Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 18 Sep. 2025
Like his previous series, Task is a character drama about people whose lives have been torn apart by loss and tragedy.
—Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 17 Sep. 2025
With about 90,000 immigrant residents, more than 20,000 undocumented, families are torn apart and neighborhoods live in fear.
—Israel Melendez Ayala, Time, 16 Sep. 2025
From families torn apart to moments of hope emerging in the face of unspeakable tragedy to incredible bravery against the odds, each episode reveals the human cost and resilience born out of chaos.
—James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 15 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tear apart
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Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 18 Sep. 2025
Like his previous series, Task is a character drama about people whose lives have been torn apart by loss and tragedy.
—Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 17 Sep. 2025
With about 90,000 immigrant residents, more than 20,000 undocumented, families are torn apart and neighborhoods live in fear.
—Israel Melendez Ayala, Time, 16 Sep. 2025
From families torn apart to moments of hope emerging in the face of unspeakable tragedy to incredible bravery against the odds, each episode reveals the human cost and resilience born out of chaos.
—James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 15 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 19 Sep. 2025.
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