tear up
verb
tore up; torn up; tearing up; tears up
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
Smoosh visibly tears up in his arms, requiring dabbing with the penalty flag.
—
Bryan Alexander, USA TODAY, 10 Feb. 2025
Jennifer Lopez tears up at Kiss of the Spider Woman premiere, calls starring in a musical a 'dream come true'
Earlier on Friday, the film was named one of the award recipients of the Sundance Film Festival.
—Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 1 Feb. 2025
The trucks that brought in feed for the hogs or loaded them up for trips to the slaughterhouse tore up the town’s narrow roads.
—Kenny Torrella, Vox, 7 Feb. 2025
My breath catches, my eyes tear up, my hands fidget, and my heart races.
—Erin Qualey, Vulture, 7 Feb. 2025
See all Example Sentences for tear up 
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Bryan Alexander, USA TODAY, 10 Feb. 2025
Jennifer Lopez tears up at Kiss of the Spider Woman premiere, calls starring in a musical a 'dream come true'
Earlier on Friday, the film was named one of the award recipients of the Sundance Film Festival.
—Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 1 Feb. 2025
The trucks that brought in feed for the hogs or loaded them up for trips to the slaughterhouse tore up the town’s narrow roads.
—Kenny Torrella, Vox, 7 Feb. 2025
My breath catches, my eyes tear up, my hands fidget, and my heart races.
—Erin Qualey, Vulture, 7 Feb. 2025
See all Example Sentences for tear up
Dictionary Entries Near tear up
Cite this Entry
“Tear up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tear%20up. Accessed 14 Feb. 2025.
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