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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of tear down
Tzvika Tesler, the chairman of the kibbutz, says his community is now debating whether to tear down the charred and bullet-ridden husks of homes that were attacked or to preserve them like monuments.
—
Emily Feng, NPR, 7 Oct. 2025
But, like the proposal in Lenexa, McEver’s efforts didn’t make it past the finish line, and the building was torn down a couple years later.
—Taylor O'Connor, Kansas City Star, 5 Oct. 2025
The report said the parish did not provide reasoning for why the rectory should be torn down.
—Cate Charron, IndyStar, 2 Oct. 2025
But those 2019 Blue Jays weren’t going anywhere, two years into a tear down.
—Mitch Bannon, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tear down
Emily Feng, NPR, 7 Oct. 2025
But, like the proposal in Lenexa, McEver’s efforts didn’t make it past the finish line, and the building was torn down a couple years later.
—Taylor O'Connor, Kansas City Star, 5 Oct. 2025
The report said the parish did not provide reasoning for why the rectory should be torn down.
—Cate Charron, IndyStar, 2 Oct. 2025
But those 2019 Blue Jays weren’t going anywhere, two years into a tear down.
—Mitch Bannon, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tear down
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tear down
Verb
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The fear of further Israeli strikes, particularly on Iran, remains acute in the public’s mind as much of Iranian air defenses likely were destroyed by Israel in June.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
12 Oct. 2025
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The Wild were absolutely destroyed in the faceoff circle, losing 44 of 71 (38 percent success rate).—
Michael Russo,
New York Times,
12 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Neighbors for a Better San Diego, a group that represents mostly single-family homeowners and opposes nearby higher-density development, criticized the report for not tracking how many homes get demolished to make way for new projects.—
David Garrick,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
10 Oct. 2025
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The Premier League club had previously intended to demolish the Peter Taylor Stand — the oldest, and smallest, of the City Ground’s four — and replace it with an entirely new structure, increasing capacity from just over 30,000 to around 35,000.—
Daniel Taylor,
New York Times,
10 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Back in January, Preston remembered filming My Best Friend’s Wedding — and how an iconic scene ruined crab and lobster for her.—
Victoria Edel,
PEOPLE,
14 Oct. 2025
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Packages of flying tortillas thrown at the wrong time, or pocket knives, would only hurt a reputation that Texas Tech has worked doggedly to change and show that the Red Raiders are at home on a national stage, and not the crazy drunk uncle ruining a holiday.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
14 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Cornerback Darnay Holmes, suffering from a thigh cramp and desperate to return to the game in the final minutes, pulled down his uniform pants — exposing his backside — while a trainer vigorously massaged the area.—
Michael Silver,
New York Times,
8 Oct. 2025
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Weiss began pulling down as much as $150,000 per engagement, a point of contention in the pro-Israel space, where advocates give speeches for free.—
Tatiana Siegel,
Variety,
7 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Andy Pages, amid a miserable month, shattered his bat while hitting a ground ball back to the pitcher.—
Fabian Ardaya,
New York Times,
10 Oct. 2025
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Nowhere is this more urgent than in Gaza and Israel, where two years of devastation have left families shattered and entire communities on the brink, on both sides of the divide.—
Muhammad bin Abdulkarim Al-Issa,
Time,
10 Oct. 2025
Verb
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One raid saw masked federal agents repelling from Black Hawk helicopters and wrecking an apartment building.—
Christopher Cann,
USA Today,
9 Oct. 2025
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The wrecking-ball style is the way King played even at Longview (Texas) High, where his father was the coach, and didn’t coddle or protect his son, as Dickey remembers.—
Seth Emerson,
New York Times,
8 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Public school advocates like William Phillis, a former official at the Ohio Department of Education, fear the change would devastate public schools.—
Megan O’Matz,
ProPublica,
8 Oct. 2025
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However, in places like Crow Creek Tribal School in South Dakota, Superintendent Rob Coverdale says the fee could devastate hiring efforts.—
Amanda Castro,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Oct. 2025
Verb
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That property happened to be a $60,000 Boston police cruiser equipped with computers and other technology that was smashed and torched.—
Peter Lucas,
Boston Herald,
13 Oct. 2025
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The Vultee aircraft completed a flight from Los Angeles to New York in 11 hours and 34 minutes and 16 seconds, smashing the existing record of 12 hours for that distance.—
Stuart Dyos,
Nashville Tennessean,
12 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Tear down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tear%20down. Accessed 15 Oct. 2025.
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