tore down

past tense of tear down
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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

2

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of tore down Piepenbrink encouraged people to visit the Crete Township Community Center on Cottage Grove Avenue and Monee Road to view photos from a 1952 fire that tore down the Balmoral Park grandstand during renovations. Olivia Stevens, Chicago Tribune, 21 June 2026 The president's team also repaired fountains throughout the city, tore down the White House's East Wing to make way for a ballroom, attempted to close the Kennedy Center for renovations, and drew up plans for a gigantic triumphal arch across the river from the capital in Virginia. Joe Walsh, CBS News, 19 June 2026 The properties sit across a cove from where Michael Jordan once tore down his own mansion (presumably to build a bigger one — as one does). Charlotte Observer, 17 June 2026 Protesters tore down and disabled enforcement cameras and painted the policy as a civil liberties issue. Justin Worland, Time, 3 June 2026 Clashes intensified this weekend as police with riot shields and officers on horseback pushed back demonstrators, some of whom tore down barricades, hurled objects and set tires ablaze outside the 1,000-bed facility. Los Angeles Times, 31 May 2026 About that view from the East Wing Nine months after Jill Biden moved out of the White House, construction crews tore down the East Wing. Susan Page, USA Today, 30 May 2026 Attendance diminished in recent years as the Wizards tore down their roster in the hopes of accumulating draft picks in trades and losing enough games to win early picks via the annual draft lottery. Josh Robbins, New York Times, 28 May 2026 In October, the White House tore down its East Wing to make room for a $400 million ballroom. ABC News, 29 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tore down
Verb
  • These structures were regionally and culturally inspired, and largely destroyed during rapid and callous colonization.
    Elizabeth Fazzare, Architectural Digest, 4 July 2026
  • The Aspen Acres fire has likely destroyed more than 200 homes, but the fire conditions have stopped damage assessment teams from accessing some areas to get a clearer picture, Pueblo County officials said.
    Katie Langford, Denver Post, 4 July 2026
Verb
  • The East Wing of the White House was demolished suddenly in October 2025 and there is set to be a huge new ballroom, office spaces and an underground military complex in its place, though the design of the new building is still in flux.
    Adam England, PEOPLE, 2 July 2026
  • Just months later, in October, the East Wing had been demolished without notice to make way for the new ballroom.
    Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy, USA Today, 30 June 2026
Verb
  • Croatia still furious Despite the correct decision being made, Croatia manager Zlatko Dalić was far from happy, saying VAR had ruined the spirit of the game.
    Ben Church, CNN Money, 3 July 2026
  • Bovary is in some sense a morality tale, but what lifts it above didacticism, along with its bone-deep interiority, is that its romantic plotlines are as addictive as the genre works that have ruined poor Emma Bovary.
    Boris Kachka, The Atlantic, 3 July 2026
Verb
  • South Korea’s Kospi dropped a breathtaking 10%, pulled down by double-digit losses for chip makers Samsung and SK Hynix.
    Andrew Nusca, Fortune, 24 June 2026
  • The next day, August 22, a crowd gathered in front of the headquarters of the KGB and pulled down a giant statue of its founder, Felix Dzerzhinsky.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 22 June 2026
Verb
  • His companies have transformed industries, his wealth has shattered records, and his politics now shape governments and public debate.
    Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 3 July 2026
  • Republican Rick Jackson shattered spending records in Georgia by spending $108 million of his own money into his campaign for governor.
    Greg Bluestein, AJC.com, 2 July 2026
Verb
  • In the history of mankind, socialist success stories are as rare as triple plays in baseball, but plenty of countries have been wrecked by it — Venezuela and Cuba, to name just two.
    Michael Zais, The Orlando Sentinel, 27 June 2026
  • My polishing pads are always getting wrecked, used, or stolen by my dog (or all of those things).
    Andrew P. Collins, The Drive, 24 June 2026
Verb
  • Earlier that day, Contreras had broken down in tears while talking about the deadly earthquakes that devastated his native Venezuela.
    Alejandro Avila OutKick, FOXNews.com, 1 July 2026
  • Carr, who has spent decades documenting South Florida's Indigenous history, said the region's Native population had been devastated long before the American Revolution.
    Hank Tester, CBS News, 1 July 2026
Verb
  • Two of the attackers then smashed the windshield of the news van with a parking cone and damaged the camera before leaving the scene.
    Jeramie Bizzle, CBS News, 2 July 2026
  • The van’s windows were smashed and a lone orange traffic cone sat on the hood.
    Tess Kenny, Chicago Tribune, 30 June 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Tore down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tore%20down. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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