tear apart

phrasal verb

tore apart; torn apart; tearing apart; tears apart

1

: to completely destroy (something) by tearing it into pieces

I couldn't open the box nicely, so I just tore it apart.

—often used figuratively

The robbers tore apart the house looking for the money.

We tore the other team apart in yesterday's game.

We can't agree, and it's tearing our family apart.

2

: to criticize (someone or something) in a very harsh or angry way especially by describing weaknesses, flaws, etc.

The article tears apart the company's handling of the situation.

They tore him apart when he left.

Examples of tear apart in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Locked in a blistering 30-hour orbit, the world lies so close to its star that intense tidal forces have warped it into a football-like shape, leaving it on the verge of being torn apart by gravity. —Sharmila Kuthunur, Space.com, 4 June 2025

The 808s are tearing apart the time-space continuum. —Kieran Press-Reynolds, Pitchfork, 4 June 2025

Developing systems can also be torn apart in the early stages of development by wind shear associated with strong plume of air (an easterly jet) often associated with Saharan dust storms. —Marshall Shepherd, Forbes.com, 2 June 2025

The eight-episode series was mercilessly torn apart by royal watchers and less-than-impressed viewers on social media for appearing inauthentic. —Ashley Hume , Larry Fink, FOXNews.com, 1 June 2025

Rhymes for tear apart

• counterpart
• art
• cart
• carte
• chart
• dart
• fart
• haart
• mart
• part
• smart
• start