1
as in ripping
to cause (something) to separate into jagged pieces by violently pulling at it
angrily tore the letter to shreds
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in yanking
to separate or remove by forceful pulling
tore the book from his hand
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in hurrying
to proceed or move quickly
she tore out of the room as soon as the phone started to ring
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of tearing
Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 1 Dec. 2025
Shilpa Uskokovic, Bon Appetit Magazine, 1 Apr. 2026
Trump posted footage of the strike on Truth Social, in an uncaptioned video that shows explosions tearing through the night sky.
—Brendan Cole, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2026
With a 165Hz refresh rate, the monitor minimizes lag and screen-tearing, making the overall gameplay feel smoother.
—George Yang, PC Magazine, 31 Mar. 2026
The design was inspired by the hair-tearing boredom of COVID lockdown-era remote work, a time in which Knafs founder Ben Petersen maintained sanity during Zoom calls by fidgeting around with pocket knives and doodling pictures.
—New Atlas, 26 Mar. 2026
LeVota announced Wednesday that Jackson County will establish a task force to begin the process of deciding what to do with the current sports complex, which could involve tearing one or both stadiums down to build something entirely new.
—Kansas City Star, 26 Mar. 2026
Even momfluencers who adhere to pristine ideals of motherhood have people tearing them apart for the littlest things.
—CNN Money, 25 Mar. 2026
However, videos showed people tearing the coverings off the fixtures later that day.
—Luzdelia Caballero, CBS News, 20 Mar. 2026
McCarthy, on the other hand, missed his entire rookie season after tearing his meniscus in the preseason.
—Ryan Canfield, FOXNews.com, 19 Mar. 2026
Adjective
By acting as a biomechanical bridge, soft enough for muscle, strong enough for rigid parts, the tendons eliminate the tearing and detachment problems that have plagued previous designs.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 1 Dec. 2025
Verb
Carefully peel away parchment from bottom of cake (start from a long side where it might be embedded in the cake and pull gently to avoid tearing the cake); discard.
—Shilpa Uskokovic, Bon Appetit Magazine, 1 Apr. 2026
Trump posted footage of the strike on Truth Social, in an uncaptioned video that shows explosions tearing through the night sky.
—Brendan Cole, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2026
With a 165Hz refresh rate, the monitor minimizes lag and screen-tearing, making the overall gameplay feel smoother.
—George Yang, PC Magazine, 31 Mar. 2026
The design was inspired by the hair-tearing boredom of COVID lockdown-era remote work, a time in which Knafs founder Ben Petersen maintained sanity during Zoom calls by fidgeting around with pocket knives and doodling pictures.
—New Atlas, 26 Mar. 2026
LeVota announced Wednesday that Jackson County will establish a task force to begin the process of deciding what to do with the current sports complex, which could involve tearing one or both stadiums down to build something entirely new.
—Kansas City Star, 26 Mar. 2026
Even momfluencers who adhere to pristine ideals of motherhood have people tearing them apart for the littlest things.
—CNN Money, 25 Mar. 2026
However, videos showed people tearing the coverings off the fixtures later that day.
—Luzdelia Caballero, CBS News, 20 Mar. 2026
McCarthy, on the other hand, missed his entire rookie season after tearing his meniscus in the preseason.
—Ryan Canfield, FOXNews.com, 19 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tearing
Verb
-
One rabid mongoose bite later, and Ben is a skull-crushing, face-ripping menace terrorizing Lucy and her friends.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
31 Mar. 2026
-
Workers began ripping out the 9-year-old artificial turf at Soldier Field.—
Kori Rumore,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Keep the movement coming from your ribs, rotating, not by yanking your neck.—
Jakob Roze,
Health,
1 Apr. 2026
-
In other words, eliminating them from the animal kingdom would be like yanking an entire tier of Jenga blocks out of the middle of the tower.—
Jackie Flynn Mogensen,
Scientific American,
15 Mar. 2026
Verb
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No point hurrying toward a resolution that was always receding.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
1 Apr. 2026
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Instead of hurrying to break up tents and scatter RVs, Lee and Oakland’s interim homelessness chief Sasha Hauswald want city workers to focus on minimizing trash and human waste around encampments.—
Grant Stringer,
Mercury News,
15 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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One spring day in Paris many years ago, my wife, Diana, a most penetrating photographer, capable of seeing like no one else, decided, as an experiment, to walk across the city blindfolded.—
Hisham Matar,
Harper's Magazine,
2 Aug. 2024
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Since the war began in Gaza, more than six months ago, the Israeli magazine +972 has published some of the most penetrating reporting on the Israel Defense Forces’ conduct.—
Isaac Chotiner,
The New Yorker,
12 Apr. 2024
Verb
-
Kyla Oldacre led Texas with 11 points off the bench while grabbing seven rebounds.—
Haley Sawyer,
Oc Register,
4 Apr. 2026
-
The victim listed in the police records later told police about two incidents of physical assault, including grabbing, scratching, shoving and striking, according to the documents.—
Meriam Bouarrouj,
NBC news,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The morning commute in Oak Park devolved into chaos Friday morning when a motorist speeding on Harlem Avenue crashed into several vehicles including a Pace bus, sending 11 people to area hospitals, village officials said.—
Cam'ron Hardy,
Chicago Tribune,
3 Apr. 2026
-
Hernandez climbed into the driver’s side of his Toyota and pointed at the couple, yelling one last time, before speeding off.—
Emily St. Martin,
Los Angeles Times,
3 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Much like the days getting longer and the air less biting, a sure harbinger that spring is coming is the 33rd annual West Suburban Irish St. Patrick’s Day Parade in downtown Naperville.—
Annie Alleman,
Chicago Tribune,
9 Mar. 2026
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As the nation bonded as one over the past two weeks biting nails, screaming at wins, wincing at crashes and choking up at all the beautiful moments of Olympic competition, another group of athletes were – and still are – out honing their multi-level championship skills.—
Moira McCarthy,
Boston Herald,
25 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Achane, who had 1,838 yards from scrimmage last season (1,350 yards rushing, 488 yards receiving) falls forward, not backward, at the end of plays despite weighing 191 pounds.—
Chris Perkins,
Sun Sentinel,
31 Mar. 2026
-
And the team really lacks true playmakers outside of tight end Brock Bowers and running back Ashton Jeanty, who showed promise as a rookie rushing for 975 yards and five touchdowns.—
Michael Gallagher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tearing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tearing. Accessed 7 Apr. 2026.
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