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
Trump gleefully tearing up large chunks of the White House and my hometown, trying to install a solipsistic arch, an exclusive golf course, a gargantuan ballroom and a garden of heroes — all to his Versailles-on-acid specifications.
—
Maureen Dowd,
Mercury News,
4 July 2026
The South Lawn and the Ellipse, a 52-acre park between the White House and the Washington Monument, are completely torn up.
—
Matt Viser,
The Atlantic,
2 July 2026
The person is lying down right now, seemingly unconscious, bicycle torn up.
—
Larry Seward,
CBS News,
26 June 2026
While her husband tears up the small screen, Spencer works outside of the entertainment industry.
—
Bailey Bujnosek,
InStyle,
26 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for tear up
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Maureen Dowd,
Mercury News,
4 July 2026
The South Lawn and the Ellipse, a 52-acre park between the White House and the Washington Monument, are completely torn up.
—
Matt Viser,
The Atlantic,
2 July 2026
The person is lying down right now, seemingly unconscious, bicycle torn up.
—
Larry Seward,
CBS News,
26 June 2026
While her husband tears up the small screen, Spencer works outside of the entertainment industry.
—
Bailey Bujnosek,
InStyle,
26 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for tear up
Cite this Entry
“Tear up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tear%20up. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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