1
as in ripping
to cause (something) to separate into jagged pieces by violently pulling at it
angrily tore the letter to shreds
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in yanking
to separate or remove by forceful pulling
tore the book from his hand
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in hurrying
to proceed or move quickly
she tore out of the room as soon as the phone started to ring
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of tearing
Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 1 Dec. 2025
Kansas City Star, 26 Mar. 2026
Even momfluencers who adhere to pristine ideals of motherhood have people tearing them apart for the littlest things.
—CNN Money, 25 Mar. 2026
However, videos showed people tearing the coverings off the fixtures later that day.
—Luzdelia Caballero, CBS News, 20 Mar. 2026
On Monday night, residents living near the Omid Addiction Treatment Hospital in the Afghan capital heard a sharp sound tearing through the sky, followed by an explosion.
—Fazelminallah Qazizai, NPR, 19 Mar. 2026
McCarthy, on the other hand, missed his entire rookie season after tearing his meniscus in the preseason.
—Ryan Canfield, FOXNews.com, 19 Mar. 2026
Perhaps the Warriors were also buoyed by the presence of Jimmy Butler – travelling to his first game since tearing his ACL in January – and Steph Curry, who remained out with runner’s knee but sat on the bench.
—Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 17 Mar. 2026
Article continues below Another view was captured by Pittsburgh National Weather Service employee Jared Rackley, once again revealing a fireball tearing through the morning sky.
—Anthony Wood, Space.com, 17 Mar. 2026
Use the proceeds from his drug empire to establish and fund a groundbreaking hospice-care facility in Portland aimed solely at victims of a new disease, AIDS, that was tearing through the country.
—Jack Crosbie, Rolling Stone, 17 Mar. 2026
Adjective
By acting as a biomechanical bridge, soft enough for muscle, strong enough for rigid parts, the tendons eliminate the tearing and detachment problems that have plagued previous designs.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 1 Dec. 2025
Verb
LeVota announced Wednesday that Jackson County will establish a task force to begin the process of deciding what to do with the current sports complex, which could involve tearing one or both stadiums down to build something entirely new.
—Kansas City Star, 26 Mar. 2026
Even momfluencers who adhere to pristine ideals of motherhood have people tearing them apart for the littlest things.
—CNN Money, 25 Mar. 2026
However, videos showed people tearing the coverings off the fixtures later that day.
—Luzdelia Caballero, CBS News, 20 Mar. 2026
On Monday night, residents living near the Omid Addiction Treatment Hospital in the Afghan capital heard a sharp sound tearing through the sky, followed by an explosion.
—Fazelminallah Qazizai, NPR, 19 Mar. 2026
McCarthy, on the other hand, missed his entire rookie season after tearing his meniscus in the preseason.
—Ryan Canfield, FOXNews.com, 19 Mar. 2026
Perhaps the Warriors were also buoyed by the presence of Jimmy Butler – travelling to his first game since tearing his ACL in January – and Steph Curry, who remained out with runner’s knee but sat on the bench.
—Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 17 Mar. 2026
Article continues below Another view was captured by Pittsburgh National Weather Service employee Jared Rackley, once again revealing a fireball tearing through the morning sky.
—Anthony Wood, Space.com, 17 Mar. 2026
Use the proceeds from his drug empire to establish and fund a groundbreaking hospice-care facility in Portland aimed solely at victims of a new disease, AIDS, that was tearing through the country.
—Jack Crosbie, Rolling Stone, 17 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tearing
Verb
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One rabid mongoose bite later, and Ben is a skull-crushing, face-ripping menace terrorizing Lucy and her friends.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
31 Mar. 2026
-
Workers began ripping out the 9-year-old artificial turf at Soldier Field.—
Kori Rumore,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Keep the movement coming from your ribs, rotating, not by yanking your neck.—
Jakob Roze,
Health,
1 Apr. 2026
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In other words, eliminating them from the animal kingdom would be like yanking an entire tier of Jenga blocks out of the middle of the tower.—
Jackie Flynn Mogensen,
Scientific American,
15 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Instead of hurrying to break up tents and scatter RVs, Lee and Oakland’s interim homelessness chief Sasha Hauswald want city workers to focus on minimizing trash and human waste around encampments.—
Grant Stringer,
Mercury News,
15 Feb. 2026
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Meza Gonzalez and David Christian, one of her attorneys, refused to answer questions from reporters about the plea agreement, hurrying down a flight of stairs at the Cadena-Reeves Justice Center.—
Megan Rodriguez,
San Antonio Express-News,
27 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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One spring day in Paris many years ago, my wife, Diana, a most penetrating photographer, capable of seeing like no one else, decided, as an experiment, to walk across the city blindfolded.—
Hisham Matar,
Harper's Magazine,
2 Aug. 2024
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Since the war began in Gaza, more than six months ago, the Israeli magazine +972 has published some of the most penetrating reporting on the Israel Defense Forces’ conduct.—
Isaac Chotiner,
The New Yorker,
12 Apr. 2024
Verb
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Kaufman-Renn hit his first seven shots — going 6-for-6 and grabbing five rebounds in the first half — on the way to 20 points.—
Janie McCauley,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Mar. 2026
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Agents targeted grocery stores, churches, and construction sites, smashing car windows and pulling people from vehicles or grabbing them at a hardware store parking lot.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Beyond fuel concerns, speeding also is a safety risk.—
Matthew Daly,
Chicago Tribune,
28 Mar. 2026
-
Price was speeding south on Edgerton and slammed into the Corolla, a collision that pushed the sedan across the road and into the fence of Forest Lawn Memorial Park cemetery.—
Nick Ferraro,
Twin Cities,
27 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Much like the days getting longer and the air less biting, a sure harbinger that spring is coming is the 33rd annual West Suburban Irish St. Patrick’s Day Parade in downtown Naperville.—
Annie Alleman,
Chicago Tribune,
9 Mar. 2026
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As the nation bonded as one over the past two weeks biting nails, screaming at wins, wincing at crashes and choking up at all the beautiful moments of Olympic competition, another group of athletes were – and still are – out honing their multi-level championship skills.—
Moira McCarthy,
Boston Herald,
25 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Achane, who had 1,838 yards from scrimmage last season (1,350 yards rushing, 488 yards receiving) falls forward, not backward, at the end of plays despite weighing 191 pounds.—
Chris Perkins,
Sun Sentinel,
31 Mar. 2026
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And the team really lacks true playmakers outside of tight end Brock Bowers and running back Ashton Jeanty, who showed promise as a rookie rushing for 975 yards and five touchdowns.—
Michael Gallagher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tearing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tearing. Accessed 2 Apr. 2026.
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