rip apart

phrasal verb

ripped apart; ripping apart; rips apart
1
: to completely destroy (something) by tearing it into pieces
The child ripped the toy apart.
Strong winds had ripped apart many of the little beach bungalows.
often used figuratively
a tragedy/scandal that almost ripped the family apart
2
: to criticize (someone or something) in a very harsh or angry way especially by describing weaknesses, flaws, etc.
Critics ripped the author's latest novel apart.
an article that rips apart the mayor's plan

Examples of rip apart in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Of the yellow-colored buildings that stood there one week ago, one was thrown up river, another was uprooted and the remaining two ripped apart. Deon J. Hampton, NBC News, 5 Oct. 2024 But this year, residents living in the community’s 140 homes started to see cracks in the ground – in their closets, bedrooms and gardens – steadily getting bigger and ripping apart their properties as the land movement began to accelerate following two years of severe storms starting in 2022. Emma Tucker, CNN, 9 Sep. 2024 They’ve been known to throw debris, rip apart buildings, and overturn boats. Alec Luhn, WIRED, 21 Aug. 2024 The nearby cemetery is full of tombstones for young men who recently died; the previous year, a young man had been found ripped apart in the forest. Bekah Waalkes, The Atlantic, 3 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for rip apart 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'rip apart.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Dictionary Entries Near rip apart

Cite this Entry

“Rip apart.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rip%20apart. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

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