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 figurativelya 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
Framed and put in prison, John emerges out for revenge and ready to reunite with fiancée he was been ripped apart from, Sophia (Shailene Woodley).
—
Julie Hinds, Freep.com, 3 Sep. 2025
But their nearly perfect summer is soon ripped apart by tragedy.
—Rachel Raposas, People.com, 28 Aug. 2025
It wasn’t supposed to get ripped apart by waves in the Mediterranean.
—Isaac Chotiner, New Yorker, 26 Aug. 2025
For instance, some earlier associations, such as hints that neutrinos were linked to tidal disruption events (TDE), where black holes rip apart passing stars, disappeared once the paths were recalculated.
—Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 24 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for rip apart
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Julie Hinds, Freep.com, 3 Sep. 2025
But their nearly perfect summer is soon ripped apart by tragedy.
—Rachel Raposas, People.com, 28 Aug. 2025
It wasn’t supposed to get ripped apart by waves in the Mediterranean.
—Isaac Chotiner, New Yorker, 26 Aug. 2025
For instance, some earlier associations, such as hints that neutrinos were linked to tidal disruption events (TDE), where black holes rip apart passing stars, disappeared once the paths were recalculated.
—Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 24 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for rip apart
Cite this Entry
“Rip apart.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rip%20apart. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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