1
as in rips
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 yanks
to separate or remove by forceful pulling
tore the book from his hand
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in rushes
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of tears
Tony Maglio, HollywoodReporter, 18 Sep. 2025
For some, tears stained their faces.
—David Clarey, jsonline.com, 18 Sep. 2025
Four may seem superfluous, but two of them (I Jackson and Wiseman) are recovering from Achilles tears.
—Tony East, Forbes.com, 17 Sep. 2025
Conduit congregants welcomed Baker’s video with whoops, shouts and tears, signaling a shared grief.
—Liam Adams, USA Today, 16 Sep. 2025
There were tears and hugs among the 42-strong teammates, as confetti and streamers rained down.
—Lars Brandle, Billboard, 10 Sep. 2025
Artificial tears may provide relief for people with mild or occasional dry eye symptoms.
—Lindsay Curtis, Health, 10 Sep. 2025
Yet the very substance that reduces some diners to tears also offers some surprising benefits.
—Diana Hubbell, Popular Science, 10 Sep. 2025
That’s when the bride lost it and tears were running.
—Ashlyn Robinette, PEOPLE, 10 Sep. 2025
Mark Kassen, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Sep. 2025
In this kind of system, scientists theorize that the black hole tears the neutron star apart before swallowing it, which releases electromagnetic waves.
—Chad Hanna, The Conversation, 10 Sep. 2025
But as the war tears at civilian life, Sashi’s four brothers and their friend K are pulled into the conflict.
—Eliana Ramage
september 4, Literary Hub, 4 Sep. 2025
Bad Bunny plays Colorado, the drug ring leader, and Regina King is a crooked NY cop who tears the protagonist’s ordinary life apart.
—Malik Peay, Essence, 27 Aug. 2025
Naomi holds her family together and tears it apart in ways that feel instantly familiar in unsettling or reductive ways.
—Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 22 Aug. 2025
In 2019, Roger Federer stood at center court in Basel, Switzerland, with gold confetti raining from above and tears streaming down his face.
—Justin Birnbaum, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2025
That process involves selling a majority of units to a developer who dissolves the condo association, tears the building down and builds new.
—Rebecca Liebson, Sun Sentinel, 11 Aug. 2025
Jacob Anderson tears into the undead flesh of the enemies who murdered his daughter, channeling his pain and fury into a series of increasingly gruesome vampiric assassinations.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 9 Aug. 2025
Noun
And Gutfeld didn’t shed any tears for his fellow TV host.
—Tony Maglio, HollywoodReporter, 18 Sep. 2025
For some, tears stained their faces.
—David Clarey, jsonline.com, 18 Sep. 2025
Four may seem superfluous, but two of them (I Jackson and Wiseman) are recovering from Achilles tears.
—Tony East, Forbes.com, 17 Sep. 2025
Conduit congregants welcomed Baker’s video with whoops, shouts and tears, signaling a shared grief.
—Liam Adams, USA Today, 16 Sep. 2025
There were tears and hugs among the 42-strong teammates, as confetti and streamers rained down.
—Lars Brandle, Billboard, 10 Sep. 2025
Artificial tears may provide relief for people with mild or occasional dry eye symptoms.
—Lindsay Curtis, Health, 10 Sep. 2025
Yet the very substance that reduces some diners to tears also offers some surprising benefits.
—Diana Hubbell, Popular Science, 10 Sep. 2025
That’s when the bride lost it and tears were running.
—Ashlyn Robinette, PEOPLE, 10 Sep. 2025
Verb
Because a society that sees others as less than human is a society that eventually tears itself apart.
—Mark Kassen, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Sep. 2025
In this kind of system, scientists theorize that the black hole tears the neutron star apart before swallowing it, which releases electromagnetic waves.
—Chad Hanna, The Conversation, 10 Sep. 2025
But as the war tears at civilian life, Sashi’s four brothers and their friend K are pulled into the conflict.
—Eliana Ramage
september 4, Literary Hub, 4 Sep. 2025
Bad Bunny plays Colorado, the drug ring leader, and Regina King is a crooked NY cop who tears the protagonist’s ordinary life apart.
—Malik Peay, Essence, 27 Aug. 2025
Naomi holds her family together and tears it apart in ways that feel instantly familiar in unsettling or reductive ways.
—Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 22 Aug. 2025
In 2019, Roger Federer stood at center court in Basel, Switzerland, with gold confetti raining from above and tears streaming down his face.
—Justin Birnbaum, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2025
That process involves selling a majority of units to a developer who dissolves the condo association, tears the building down and builds new.
—Rebecca Liebson, Sun Sentinel, 11 Aug. 2025
Jacob Anderson tears into the undead flesh of the enemies who murdered his daughter, channeling his pain and fury into a series of increasingly gruesome vampiric assassinations.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 9 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tears
Noun
-
Laying in an almost illusion deconstruction, the black fabric featured cutouts to reveal the white corset beneath the bustline in a plunging V shape and at the sides, along with waist-high slits on either side of the front of the skirt.—
Julia Teti,
Footwear News,
16 Sep. 2025
-
Net pots are plastic containers with slits that allow roots to grow through.—
The San Diego Union Tribune,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
13 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
But Thing, who Isaac had sewn back onto his arm, regains his autonomy and rips Isaac’s heart out.—
Selome Hailu,
Variety,
5 Sep. 2025
-
Roberts brings a jolt of invigorating fury to one of the movie’s strongest scenes, in which the mentor rips into her mentee in public on a campus square with a fully detailed character assassination.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
29 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Thing rebels against his master and yanks out his clockwork heart.—
Jessica M. Goldstein,
Vulture,
4 Sep. 2025
-
After deciding to take his family to a tourist town for some fun in the sun, a minor encounter with local bullies yanks the family into the crosshairs of an unhinged, blood-thirsty crime boss (Sharon Stone), who is determined to derail his relaxation.—
Billie Melissa,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The 32 basket and gourd artworks by 14 artists are made from nature, out of materials ranging from willow, grasses and yucca to rushes.—
Ut Community Press,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
16 Sep. 2025
-
The festival director rushes back and forth, talking on the phone.—
Sara Stridsberg
September 15,
Literary Hub,
15 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The array of ferocious brushstrokes, scratches, and painterly drips amplify the complex dialogue, inviting the viewer’s interpretation.—
Natasha Gural,
Forbes.com,
13 Sep. 2025
-
Propelled by one of guitarist Wes Borland’s hypnotic riffs, crunching beats, old-school record scratches and the group’s signature shouty choruses, the whole thing comes crashing to a close with a pummeling final chorus that finally nods to the country star in the title.—
Gil Kaufman,
Billboard,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
But the feeling when a film grabs hold remains the same—by a story, a character, a voice—that, never goes out of season.—
Okla Jones,
Essence,
10 Sep. 2025
-
The lilting Calle Malaga, Morocco’s official entry for the International Feature Film Oscar, is a joy largely because of its veteran star who envelops the screen and grabs a role of a career.—
Pete Hammond,
Deadline,
9 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
And as the country races toward an election, politics and contemporary issues will also be front and center.—
Liz Rothaus Bertrand,
Charlotte Observer,
11 Sep. 2025
-
As the world races to decarbonize, clean energy storage is becoming the central challenge.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
In Chaos One of the hardest instincts to train is staying calm when everything speeds up.—
Aslak de Silva,
Forbes.com,
18 Sep. 2025
-
With five blades sandwiched between two moisturizing bars, this razor speeds up the entire process (no fussing around with shaving cream), nourishing dry skin and making nicks a rare occurrence.—
Sophia Panych,
Allure,
16 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Tears.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tears. Accessed 20 Sep. 2025.
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