1
as in to destroy
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
as in to demolish
to destroy (as a building) completely by knocking down or breaking to pieces
the new owners apparently bought the house just to tear it down and build a lavish mansion in its place
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of tear down
The British Government is desperate to make progress in tearing down trade barriers.
—
Anand Menon, Time, 13 June 2026
Yes to hugging and high-fiving a stranger; no to tearing down a lamppost and smashing a cop car.
—New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 12 June 2026
Although the Pulse nightclub was torn down, remnants from the building will be incorporated throughout the site helping to root memories in place.
—R. Daniel Foster, Forbes.com, 12 June 2026
Survivors and victims’ families were allowed to go inside the nightclub one final time on the week of the massacre’s ninth anniversary last year before it was torn down in March to make way for the memorial.
—Silas Morgan, The Orlando Sentinel, 12 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for tear down
Anand Menon, Time, 13 June 2026
Yes to hugging and high-fiving a stranger; no to tearing down a lamppost and smashing a cop car.
—New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 12 June 2026
Although the Pulse nightclub was torn down, remnants from the building will be incorporated throughout the site helping to root memories in place.
—R. Daniel Foster, Forbes.com, 12 June 2026
Survivors and victims’ families were allowed to go inside the nightclub one final time on the week of the massacre’s ninth anniversary last year before it was torn down in March to make way for the memorial.
—Silas Morgan, The Orlando Sentinel, 12 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for tear down
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tear down
Verb
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Mobile homes will be damaged or destroyed.—
KANSAS CITY STAR WEATHER BOT,
Kansas City Star,
14 June 2026
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Terminix utilizes the advanced Sentricon baiting system alongside traditional liquid barriers to destroy subterranean colonies entirely.—
Nick Perry,
USA Today,
14 June 2026
Verb
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The existing residence was demolished, though plans to build a new house never moved forward.—
Abby Montanez,
Robb Report,
19 June 2026
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The military has bulldozed or demolished wide swaths of the zone, and the area, where most of Gaza’s agricultural land lies, is inaccessible to Palestinians.—
Melanie Lidman,
Chicago Tribune,
19 June 2026
Verb
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The Spurs rose up and ruined that party, winning their only game of the series.—
Kyle Feldscher,
CNN Money,
14 June 2026
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Historically, barrels of Madeira spent months crossing tropical oceans aboard ships, and merchants realized that the heat actually improved the wine rather than ruining it.—
Emily Price,
Forbes.com,
14 June 2026
Verb
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Kate Ziegler breaks swimming’s oldest world record, shattering the 1,500-meter freestyle mark by 9 1/2 seconds at the TYR Meet of Champions Mission Viejo.—
Assistant Sports Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
17 June 2026
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When a shocking night shatters their fragile facade, both women are forced to confront the cost of control and decide what kind of future is worth fighting for.—
Tony Maglio,
HollywoodReporter,
17 June 2026
Verb
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Just across the Mississippi River in Avondale, Louisiana, a tornado wrecked four homes, Jefferson Parish spokeswoman Rachel Strassel said.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
19 June 2026
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Jane Ragsdale’s best friend Christine Chenoweth, a pastoral counselor and former Presbyterian minister, says the South Fork of the Guadalupe is now lousy and wrecked and haunted.—
Karen Valby,
Vanity Fair,
16 June 2026
Verb
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At the same time, agriculture is one of the sectors most threatened by climate change, with rising temperatures set to devastate food crops around the world.—
Jasmin Sykes,
CNN Money,
19 June 2026
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Our entire family is devastated by this great loss.—
Natalie Neysa Alund,
USA Today,
18 June 2026
Verb
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One video appeared to show two people jumping onto the roof of an NYPD vehicle and smashing its windshield.—
Michael Sinkewicz,
FOXNews.com,
14 June 2026
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Moten says his car, which was parked on the street, was smashed and left totaled.—
Ryan Hughes,
CBS News,
13 June 2026
Verb
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The Bulldogs fell behind 3-0 in the first and could not overcome the early deficit thanks to the efforts of OU starting pitcher Xander Mercurius’ 7 1/3 quality innings pitched.—
Hunter DeLauder,
AJC.com,
16 June 2026
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Chasing atomic limits To overcome that challenge, the KAIST team relied on first-principles calculations, a computational approach that predicts material behavior using the laws of physics rather than experimental data.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
16 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tear down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tear%20down. Accessed 20 Jun. 2026.
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