tear up
verb
tore up; torn up; tearing up; tears up
1
: to damage, remove, or effect an opening in
tore up the street to lay a new water main
2
: to perform or compete with great success on, in, or against
couples tearing up the dance floor
a batter who's tearing up the league
Examples of tear up in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Watch Ruben tear up over a memory blanket featuring the love of his life below.
—
Kendall Malinchock, USA TODAY, 28 Jan. 2025
She and her mother were granted asylum and are living relatively peaceful lives so far here, though Azita in particular is still understandably torn up about losing Farhad.
—Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 27 Jan. 2025
Meanwhile, Paramount’s Sonic the Hedgehog 3 is still tearing up records.
—Nancy Tartaglione, Deadline, 26 Jan. 2025
Some have also called for the city to spend on housing and social services in the neighborhood before tearing up the street.
—Kyle Stokes, Axios, 23 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for tear up 
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.
Kendall Malinchock, USA TODAY, 28 Jan. 2025
She and her mother were granted asylum and are living relatively peaceful lives so far here, though Azita in particular is still understandably torn up about losing Farhad.
—Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 27 Jan. 2025
Meanwhile, Paramount’s Sonic the Hedgehog 3 is still tearing up records.
—Nancy Tartaglione, Deadline, 26 Jan. 2025
Some have also called for the city to spend on housing and social services in the neighborhood before tearing up the street.
—Kyle Stokes, Axios, 23 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for tear up
Dictionary Entries Near tear up
Cite this Entry
“Tear up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tear%20up. Accessed 1 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share