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
Riding out Hollywood’s storm Advertisement At a time when the film industry is being battered by radically shifting consumer habits and business models of the streaming era, Chung was well aware of the symbolic heft of a tornado ripping apart a movie theater.
—
Josh Rottenberg, Los Angeles Times, 18 July 2024
Columbus and his crew hunted natives for sport and released them to hunting dogs to be ripped apart.
—Fernando Cervantes Jr., USA TODAY, 14 Oct. 2024
Homes from Florida's Gulf Coast up to North Carolina and Tennessee have been utterly destroyed, either ripped apart from hurricane-force winds or inundated by storm surge and flooding.
—NBC News, 1 Oct. 2024
On Wednesday, scientists announced a discovery that could add to the comparisons: Komodo dragons’ teeth are coated with iron to rip apart their prey.
—Andrew Jeong, Washington Post, 25 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for rip apart 
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.
Josh Rottenberg, Los Angeles Times, 18 July 2024
Columbus and his crew hunted natives for sport and released them to hunting dogs to be ripped apart.
—Fernando Cervantes Jr., USA TODAY, 14 Oct. 2024
Homes from Florida's Gulf Coast up to North Carolina and Tennessee have been utterly destroyed, either ripped apart from hurricane-force winds or inundated by storm surge and flooding.
—NBC News, 1 Oct. 2024
On Wednesday, scientists announced a discovery that could add to the comparisons: Komodo dragons’ teeth are coated with iron to rip apart their prey.
—Andrew Jeong, Washington Post, 25 July 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 22 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share