rip apart
phrasal verb
ripped apart; ripping apart; rips apart
1
: to completely destroy (something) by tearing it into pieces
The child ripped the toy apart.
Strong winds had ripped apart many of the little beach bungalows.
—often used figurativelya tragedy/scandal that almost ripped the family apart
2
: to criticize (someone or something) in a very harsh or angry way especially by describing weaknesses, flaws, etc.
Critics ripped the author's latest novel apart.
an article that rips apart the mayor's plan
Examples of rip apart in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Posters of the president and his father Hafez, who began the family’s tyrannical rule five decades earlier, had been defaced, shot through or ripped apart.
—
Justin Salhani, The Dial, 17 Dec. 2024
Dorfmann asks, before continuing to rip apart Kacey’s performance.
—Vlada Gelman, TVLine, 11 Dec. 2024
However, three years ago, Harvard astronomers offered an alternative hypothesis: The culprit may have been a fragment of a comet thrown off-course by Jupiter's gravity and ripped apart by the Sun.
—Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 15 Aug. 2024
Ships, once proud and sturdy, were ripped apart by torpedoes and bombs, sending massive plumes of fire and debris into the air.
—Alaa Elassar, CNN, 7 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for rip apart 
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Justin Salhani, The Dial, 17 Dec. 2024
Dorfmann asks, before continuing to rip apart Kacey’s performance.
—Vlada Gelman, TVLine, 11 Dec. 2024
However, three years ago, Harvard astronomers offered an alternative hypothesis: The culprit may have been a fragment of a comet thrown off-course by Jupiter's gravity and ripped apart by the Sun.
—Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 15 Aug. 2024
Ships, once proud and sturdy, were ripped apart by torpedoes and bombs, sending massive plumes of fire and debris into the air.
—Alaa Elassar, CNN, 7 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for rip apart
Dictionary Entries Near rip apart
Cite this Entry
“Rip apart.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rip%20apart. Accessed 30 Dec. 2024.
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