1
as in destroyed
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
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in demolished
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
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Recent Examples of tore down
In October, the White House tore down its East Wing to make room for a $400 million ballroom.
—
ABC News, 29 Apr. 2026
This is a sharp contrast to the four buildings LACMA tore down, including its original Ahmanson Building, from 1968, and the Art of the Americas Building, opened in 1986.
—Maximilíano Durón, ARTnews.com, 17 Apr. 2026
On Monday, cranes and demolition excavators tore down the exhibition hall closest to the Omni Hotel, dismembering parts of the building that will eventually unlock 20 to 30 acres for redevelopment and a new events facility.
—Devyani Chhetri, Dallas Morning News, 30 Mar. 2026
Footage showed dozens of people being arrested as agitators shouted insults at state patrol officers, tore down yellow police tape and hurled lewd objects at law enforcement.
—Alexandra Koch, FOXNews.com, 8 Feb. 2026
The mother and son tore down the existing structure and built the Tavern in its place.
—Matthew Geiger, Denver Post, 7 Feb. 2026
But several months later, construction crews tore down the East Wing and colonnade, as well as the Jacqueline Kennedy Garden.
—Ted Johnson, Deadline, 2 Feb. 2026
The group of artists, which was led by then-couple Michael Townsend and Adriana Valdez-Young, came up with the plan after real estate developers tore down their artists' commune about a mile away from what would become the mall.
—Caroline Blair, PEOPLE, 27 Jan. 2026
During the demonstrations for racial justice in 2020, protestors across the country defaced and tore down statues of Washington, arguing that enslavers should be reviled, not honored.
—John Garrison Marks, Time, 23 Jan. 2026
ABC News, 29 Apr. 2026
This is a sharp contrast to the four buildings LACMA tore down, including its original Ahmanson Building, from 1968, and the Art of the Americas Building, opened in 1986.
—Maximilíano Durón, ARTnews.com, 17 Apr. 2026
On Monday, cranes and demolition excavators tore down the exhibition hall closest to the Omni Hotel, dismembering parts of the building that will eventually unlock 20 to 30 acres for redevelopment and a new events facility.
—Devyani Chhetri, Dallas Morning News, 30 Mar. 2026
Footage showed dozens of people being arrested as agitators shouted insults at state patrol officers, tore down yellow police tape and hurled lewd objects at law enforcement.
—Alexandra Koch, FOXNews.com, 8 Feb. 2026
The mother and son tore down the existing structure and built the Tavern in its place.
—Matthew Geiger, Denver Post, 7 Feb. 2026
But several months later, construction crews tore down the East Wing and colonnade, as well as the Jacqueline Kennedy Garden.
—Ted Johnson, Deadline, 2 Feb. 2026
The group of artists, which was led by then-couple Michael Townsend and Adriana Valdez-Young, came up with the plan after real estate developers tore down their artists' commune about a mile away from what would become the mall.
—Caroline Blair, PEOPLE, 27 Jan. 2026
During the demonstrations for racial justice in 2020, protestors across the country defaced and tore down statues of Washington, arguing that enslavers should be reviled, not honored.
—John Garrison Marks, Time, 23 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tore down
Verb
-
The Santa Rosa Island Fire, which was reported on May 15, has surpassed 10,000 acres and destroyed two historic structures, according to authorities.—
Paris Barraza,
USA Today,
19 May 2026
-
Forecasters said mobile homes may be damaged or destroyed, the weather service said.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
19 May 2026
Verb
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This caused immediate backlash, particularly as the East Wing was recently demolished during ongoing renovation work.—
StyleCaster Editors,
StyleCaster,
16 May 2026
-
There, on the Hudson River waterfront, David Wojnarowicz wrote poems and painted murals alongside Luis Frangella and Mike Bidlo, while Peter Hujar and Dirk Rowntree photographed scenes of impromptu happenings and performances, before the site was demolished in 1984.—
Natalia Torija,
Curbed,
14 May 2026
Verb
-
If outdoor dining is being ruined by buzzing pests, the Gootop bug zapper may be the easiest way to reclaim your outdoor space (and your cheeseburger)!—
Jeaneen Russell,
PEOPLE,
20 May 2026
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Caputo claimed the second probe lasted until the end of 2025, and both investigations drained his family’s savings, ruined his career, and impacted his health, among other things.—
Siladitya Ray,
Forbes.com,
20 May 2026
Verb
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Coffey and Kayla McBride each pulled down eight rebounds apiece.—
Twin Cities,
Twin Cities,
15 May 2026
-
By the next day, Google had pulled down the offending videos.—
Todd Spangler,
Variety,
14 May 2026
Verb
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Set to shoot in Canada in 2027, the film stars Lutz as Genie, a professional runner whose life is shattered by an unwanted pregnancy and later transformed by a catastrophic accident that leaves her without both legs.—
Elsa Keslassy,
Variety,
16 May 2026
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In the Tri-Valley League, junior midfielder Greg Walsh shattered a school record with eight goals, as Westwood cruised to an 15-6 win over Norwood.—
Brendan Connelly,
Boston Herald,
15 May 2026
Verb
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Then, in October, the pace picked up; over just a few days, a series of explosions wrecked a police monument in Chicago, the Marin County Hall of Justice, a Queens courthouse, and the Harvard Center for International Affairs.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
19 May 2026
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However, Liverpool options in that area will be bolstered this summer by the arrival of £60m French defender Jeremy Jacquet from Rennes, while Italian centre-back Giovanni Leoni is returning to fitness after a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament injury wrecked his debut season on Merseyside.—
James Pearce,
New York Times,
12 May 2026
Verb
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Fuel and fertilizer needed for the rice crop are just the latest necessities to become unaffordable in Rakhine state, which has been devastated by intense fighting between the Myanmar military and the Arakan Army (AA), one of the many rebel groups in the country.—
Helen Regan,
CNN Money,
16 May 2026
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Authorities discovered the bodies of a man who worked for Henry County, a woman and an infant in a McDonough home on Tuesday night, leaving the woman’s family devastated and the man’s coworkers within the county’s Department of Transportation stunned.—
Reed Williams,
AJC.com,
16 May 2026
Verb
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The two jets — which appeared to be Navy Super Hornet fighters — then smashed into the runway.—
Charlotte Phillipp,
PEOPLE,
18 May 2026
-
Bengaluru accelerated despite that loss as Iyer smashed his first 50 of the season, coming off 29 balls.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
17 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tore down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tore%20down. Accessed 22 May. 2026.
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