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
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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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Recent Examples of tear down
The state has acknowledged deplorable conditions at Stateville and plans are in motion to tear down that prison and Logan Correctional Center, a women’s prison in downstate Lincoln, then rebuild both facilities on the Stateville campus near Joliet.
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Olivia Olander, Chicago Tribune, 14 Nov. 2024
Twine tears down the technical obstacles keeping most people from experiencing that kind of fantastic free-flowing creativity in game development.
—Jordan Minor, PCMAG, 27 Nov. 2024
Coming so soon after an election partly decided by highly online men who feel their status to be under threat, this outcome seems like an omen: Old systems may soon be torn down, with little to replace them but bluster spun as redemption.
—Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 20 Nov. 2024
Every man, woman and child were whooping with joy, crying tears of relief, tearing down terrifying posters of the green-hued tyrant like they’d been liberated from the second coming of Stalin.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 19 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for tear down 
Olivia Olander, Chicago Tribune, 14 Nov. 2024
Twine tears down the technical obstacles keeping most people from experiencing that kind of fantastic free-flowing creativity in game development.
—Jordan Minor, PCMAG, 27 Nov. 2024
Coming so soon after an election partly decided by highly online men who feel their status to be under threat, this outcome seems like an omen: Old systems may soon be torn down, with little to replace them but bluster spun as redemption.
—Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 20 Nov. 2024
Every man, woman and child were whooping with joy, crying tears of relief, tearing down terrifying posters of the green-hued tyrant like they’d been liberated from the second coming of Stalin.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 19 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for tear down
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tear down
Verb
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Al Shahabi also asked on Facebook where the recordings of surveillance cameras at regime security branches had gone, why some documents had been destroyed and why human rights groups had not done more to protect records.Raja Razek, CNN, 16 Dec. 2024
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He is then seen waving the baton, destroying property and throwing items at police, according to his criminal complaint.Sarah Nelson, The Indianapolis Star, 16 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Once, in a stadium since demolished, the Orioles won three world championships; the Baltimore Colts did the same.Mike Klingaman, Baltimore Sun, 13 Dec. 2024
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Subsequently demolished and rebuilt by Simo Design and Fischer Construction, the sleek wood and stone structure ultimately sold to Bay-Schuck in late 2019 for $11 million.Wendy Bowman, Robb Report, 11 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Over time, this can take away a company's competitive edge or even ruin its reputation with future talent.Subha Barry, Forbes, 10 Dec. 2024
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This increases the risk of electrical shocks, fire, and short circuits, which can ruin your holidays.Timothy Dale, Better Homes & Gardens, 10 Dec. 2024
Verb
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The former South Carolina standout pulled down a 31-yard pass from Young to convert a third-and-11 from the Panthers’ 2 on their final drive.Joseph Person, The Athletic, 9 Dec. 2024
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When the woman asked to see his smile, the suspect pulled down his face mask long enough to allow a camera at the building to capture a clearer image of his face.Michael Ruiz, Fox News, 6 Dec. 2024
Verb
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The star, who suffered a horrific snowplow accident on New Year’s Day nearly two years ago that shattered 38 bones, discussed his career and more in a wide-ranging on-stage appearance at Culture Square in the second-largest Saudi city’s old town Al-Balad.Georg Szalai, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 Dec. 2024
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The numbers exploded from the jump and never relented, with world records shattering one after the other.Josh Condon, Robb Report, 8 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, the group most immediately responsible for Assad’s overthrow, has announced that victory is not a license to wreck the institutions of the state, nor to initiate a wave of retribution against Alawites in general.Graeme Wood, The Atlantic, 9 Dec. 2024
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This couldn’t be further from the truth—especially the part about Trump’s corruption and self-dealing being no different from the norm—but Biden is doing the work of people who want to wreck the best aspects of America’s democratic ethos.Isaac Chotiner, The New Yorker, 2 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Officials are assessing damage after Cyclone Chido devastated the island of Mayotte over the weekend.Kinsey Crowley, USA TODAY, 16 Dec. 2024
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West Ninth Street continued to grow throughout this time, but the Great Depression of the 1930s devastated many businesses and fraternal groups.Helaine Williams, arkansasonline.com, 14 Dec. 2024
Verb
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The burglar smashed the Plexiglass case that held the slippers and absconded with them.Althea Legaspi, Rolling Stone, 7 Dec. 2024
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Amid six minutes of bidding the watch soared to its final price of $840,000, totally smashing its $60,000 high estimate.Anthony DeMarco, Forbes, 7 Dec. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near tear down
Cite this Entry
“Tear down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tear%20down. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.
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