1
as in to destroy
to bring to a complete end the physical soundness, existence, or usefulness of
vandals tore down the wooden fence blocking the entrance to the beach
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to demolish
to destroy (as a building) completely by knocking down or breaking to pieces
the new owners apparently bought the house just to tear it down and build a lavish mansion in its place
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of tear down
Hundreds of protesters were arrested at campuses across the country, while encampments were torn down and events canceled.
—
Meredith Deliso, ABC News, 13 Mar. 2025
The people in the black shirts who put up and tear down the sets?
—Quispe López, Them, 11 Mar. 2025
Contractors cover the cost of tearing down the homes and hauling away the debris, while the city pays for its disposal, Melton said.
—Carole Carlson, Chicago Tribune, 10 Mar. 2025
Houses are being flipped, torn down and rebuilt or renovated with a new coat of paint in cities with older housing stock and a changing residential base.
—arkansasonline.com, 9 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tear down
Meredith Deliso, ABC News, 13 Mar. 2025
The people in the black shirts who put up and tear down the sets?
—Quispe López, Them, 11 Mar. 2025
Contractors cover the cost of tearing down the homes and hauling away the debris, while the city pays for its disposal, Melton said.
—Carole Carlson, Chicago Tribune, 10 Mar. 2025
Houses are being flipped, torn down and rebuilt or renovated with a new coat of paint in cities with older housing stock and a changing residential base.
—arkansasonline.com, 9 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tear down
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tear down
Verb
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The Palisades and Eaton fires burned more than 40,000 acres and destroyed at least 12,000 buildings.—
Corinne Purtill,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Mar. 2025
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Many of the early hires were believed to be young tech engineers with little to no government experience, prompting criticism from Democrats and unions that critical government services and systems would be cut or destroyed.—
Sarah D. Wire,
USA Today,
28 Mar. 2025
Verb
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The house was demolished a few years ago, so those films have now become a kind of archival image of the family.—
David Opie,
IndieWire,
26 Mar. 2025
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Protests against Hamas come amid a deep humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where most infrastructure including medical facilities has been demolished.—
Paul Du Quenoy,
MSNBC Newsweek,
26 Mar. 2025
Verb
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However, for some, gambling is an addiction that can ruin lives and families.—
Don Sweeney,
Sacramento Bee,
23 Mar. 2025
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But those stocks were mined with some gusto, and large portions of the island were essentially ruined.—
Nick Miller,
The Athletic,
21 Mar. 2025
Verb
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The pre-teen was quickly pulled down and told to stop by his mom, who rolled her eyes and shook her head.—
Hannah Sacks,
People.com,
20 Mar. 2025
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The Rockets pulled down 23 offensive rebounds against the 76ers, converting that into 27 second-chance points.—
Kelly Iko,
The Athletic,
18 Mar. 2025
Verb
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The tornado damaged the roof and shattered the windows of Drope’s home.—
Mary Gilbert,
CNN,
22 Mar. 2025
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More than 50 drones were intercepted in Russia's Saratov region -- the largest attack of its kind in the area -- shattering windows in a hospital and damaging two kindergartens, a school and about 30 homes, Gov. Roman Busargin said.—
arkansasonline.com,
arkansasonline.com,
21 Mar. 2025
Verb
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That’s led one of its top investors, Ross Gerber, this week to call for Musk to lay off the government wrecking or step down as CEO.—
Anita Chabria,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Mar. 2025
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The tornado wrecked through 13 miles of the city, with wind speeds over 200 miles per hour.—
Greta Cross,
USA TODAY,
17 Mar. 2025
Verb
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The floods have devastated local economies and communities.—
Alan Taylor,
The Atlantic,
27 Mar. 2025
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In 2014, three West African countries were devastated by an Ebola outbreak that claimed more than 11,000 lives.—
Seth Berkley,
Time,
27 Mar. 2025
Verb
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To Late April Close, CFO Says - Update RTL pointed to 2024 success stories including Oscar-winner Poor Things, hit Amazon YA series Maxton Hall, Kim Kardashian-produced doc Elizabeth Taylor: Rebel Superstar and U.S. entertainment smashes like Family Feud and The Farmer Wants A Wife.—
Max Goldbart,
Deadline,
20 Mar. 2025
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An individual or individuals smashed windows, painted Cybertruck windshields with large red X’s and tried to ignite a fire.—
Jonathan Limehouse,
USA TODAY,
19 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Tear down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tear%20down. Accessed 2 Apr. 2025.
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