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
Outside, 4 Feb. 2026
What if the Celtics won a ring without Jayson Tatum, who could still come back this season after tearing his Achilles tendon in last year’s playoffs?
—Chris Branch, New York Times, 3 Feb. 2026
Buoyed by a core of Jaylen Brown, Derrick White and Payton Pritchard, Boston has exceeded expectations without star forward Jayson Tatum, who may or may not return this season after tearing his Achilles in May.
—Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 3 Feb. 2026
On Monday, Peoples Gas crews returned once again, bringing in heavy machinery and tearing into Delaware Avenue to permanently fix the frozen line.
—Shelley Bortz, CBS News, 2 Feb. 2026
Star guard Kyrie Irving hasn’t played all season after tearing an ACL last March.
—Schuyler Dixon, Twin Cities, 29 Jan. 2026
Just more than a minute after ignition, the ruptured booster caused the shuttle’s giant external fuel tank to explode, tearing the vehicle to pieces over the ocean and dooming all seven astronauts.
—Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 28 Jan. 2026
But why does there seem to be one narrative that is, most of the time, tearing them down.
—Alex Ritman, Variety, 27 Jan. 2026
The new look comes months after Fieri underwent emergency surgery after missing a set of steps and tearing his quad muscle in half.
—Christina Dugan Ramirez, FOXNews.com, 26 Jan. 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
Three weeks after tearing her ACL, Italian downhiller Sofia Goggia won a World Cup race in 2022.
—Outside, 4 Feb. 2026
What if the Celtics won a ring without Jayson Tatum, who could still come back this season after tearing his Achilles tendon in last year’s playoffs?
—Chris Branch, New York Times, 3 Feb. 2026
Buoyed by a core of Jaylen Brown, Derrick White and Payton Pritchard, Boston has exceeded expectations without star forward Jayson Tatum, who may or may not return this season after tearing his Achilles in May.
—Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 3 Feb. 2026
On Monday, Peoples Gas crews returned once again, bringing in heavy machinery and tearing into Delaware Avenue to permanently fix the frozen line.
—Shelley Bortz, CBS News, 2 Feb. 2026
Star guard Kyrie Irving hasn’t played all season after tearing an ACL last March.
—Schuyler Dixon, Twin Cities, 29 Jan. 2026
Just more than a minute after ignition, the ruptured booster caused the shuttle’s giant external fuel tank to explode, tearing the vehicle to pieces over the ocean and dooming all seven astronauts.
—Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 28 Jan. 2026
But why does there seem to be one narrative that is, most of the time, tearing them down.
—Alex Ritman, Variety, 27 Jan. 2026
The new look comes months after Fieri underwent emergency surgery after missing a set of steps and tearing his quad muscle in half.
—Christina Dugan Ramirez, FOXNews.com, 26 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tearing
Verb
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Mix-Ins for Texture These tasty mix-ins might make the frosting too thick and chunky to spread without tearing or ripping the cake, so beat the frosting with a mixer until light and fluffy, and then fold in the additions with a spatula.—
Sheri Castle,
Southern Living,
7 Feb. 2026
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In chaotic markets — when silver is ripping higher or dropping fast — dealers may pause buying, lower offers or limit volumes.—
Angelica Leicht,
CBS News,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Hotel video footage showed the pair forcing entry into the hotel by yanking on a lobby door and breaking the lock.—
Nick Ferraro,
Twin Cities,
5 Feb. 2026
-
The yellow bucket of a heavy construction excavator crashed down onto the roof of the vacant home at Parade Park, yanking it into a heap of split plaster and lumber.—
Eric Adler,
Kansas City Star,
4 Feb. 2026
Verb
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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
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Meza Gonzalez and David Christian, one of her attorneys, refused to answer questions from reporters about the plea agreement, hurrying down a flight of stairs at the Cadena-Reeves Justice Center.—
Megan Rodriguez,
San Antonio Express-News,
27 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
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
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Hearing the faint sirens of the white police officers who have been monitoring the area for no real reason, Kid attempts to blend into the party by grabbing the mic of the bored DJ—played by Parliament-Funkadelic’s George Clinton—to freestyle.—
Alphonse Pierre,
Pitchfork,
13 Feb. 2026
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Or, Stein recommends grabbing a bed/mattress vacuum that is made specifically for the mattress.—
Daley Quinn,
Southern Living,
12 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Early in my freshman year of college, a speeding car struck my twin brother, Jim, on a street near our campus.—
Christopher Beha,
New Yorker,
14 Feb. 2026
-
Traffic violations like speeding.—
Rachel Royster,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
14 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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The Chill Factor Perhaps the most biting statistic of the season so far is the temperature.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
27 Jan. 2026
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Morbidly Jewish finds Raanan at his most biting, acerbic, angry, Jewish, and, as always…loud.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
5 Jan. 2026
Verb
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He was seated in the bow, and the momentum of the raft pushed him into the alders, where a large branch swept him out of his seat and into the rushing water.—
Emilee Coblentz,
Outside,
11 Feb. 2026
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For many of the workers who have spent the past several days rushing home, secure jobs and fair wages are clearly high on their wish list from the changing government.—
Mayu Saini,
Sourcing Journal,
11 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tearing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tearing. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.
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