tear up

verb

tore up; torn up; tearing up; tears up

transitive verb

1
: to damage, remove, or effect an opening in
tore up the street to lay a new water main
2
: to perform or compete with great success on, in, or against
couples tearing up the dance floor
a batter who's tearing up the league

Examples of tear up in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Following a 2-1 victory, the Scots invaded the pitch, tore up turf, and broke the goalposts. Miami Herald, 19 June 2026 Trump tore up Barack Obama’s deal, but the threat of war did not produce a better deal. Jonathan Chait, The Atlantic, 17 June 2026 Having seen the skirt for the first time in person while onstage with his wife, Barack Obama, clearly moved by the meaningful design, began to tear up. Morgan Evans, USA Today, 17 June 2026 Soon another star orbiting the sports world may be giving superfans reason to dress up and tear up. Rosemary Feitelberg, Footwear News, 16 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for tear up

Word History

First Known Use

1620, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of tear up was in 1620

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Tear up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tear%20up. Accessed 22 Jun. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster