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 figurativelyThe 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
And they are meant to be torn apart and put back together.
—
Baz Bamigboye, Deadline, 10 Dec. 2025
His heroic death—torn apart by Demodogs while helping others escape from Hawkins Lab—cemented him as a tragic figure in the show’s history.
—Melissa Fleur Afshar, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 Dec. 2025
To be locked away for decades was not, in his eyes, more humane than being torn apart in a public square—though Damiens himself might have had a different opinion.
—Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 8 Dec. 2025
One that can be curated, retouched or even torn apart.
—Michael Wayland, CNBC, 4 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tear apart
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Baz Bamigboye, Deadline, 10 Dec. 2025
His heroic death—torn apart by Demodogs while helping others escape from Hawkins Lab—cemented him as a tragic figure in the show’s history.
—Melissa Fleur Afshar, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 Dec. 2025
To be locked away for decades was not, in his eyes, more humane than being torn apart in a public square—though Damiens himself might have had a different opinion.
—Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 8 Dec. 2025
One that can be curated, retouched or even torn apart.
—Michael Wayland, CNBC, 4 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tear apart
Cite this Entry
“Tear apart.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tear%20apart. Accessed 16 Dec. 2025.
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