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
Varvarych was on patrol as part of a combat mission in a community in Luhansk, a region of eastern Ukraine's Donbas, when an antipersonnel mine ripped apart his legs.
—
Carol Guzy, NPR, 22 Feb. 2026
The massive blocks of concrete, which ripped apart when the water moved them down the channel in the Pacific Palisades early Wednesday morning, were so loud that some residents felt the ground shaking.
—Lauren Pozen, CBS News, 18 Feb. 2026
Because where else but here would a mother (played by a game Pamela Anderson) die at the hands of wild wolves, ripped apart in a forest near the family’s opulent Catalonian home?
—David Opie, IndieWire, 15 Feb. 2026
This administration is ripping apart American families—that is wrong.
—Eleanor Dearman, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for rip apart
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Carol Guzy, NPR, 22 Feb. 2026
The massive blocks of concrete, which ripped apart when the water moved them down the channel in the Pacific Palisades early Wednesday morning, were so loud that some residents felt the ground shaking.
—Lauren Pozen, CBS News, 18 Feb. 2026
Because where else but here would a mother (played by a game Pamela Anderson) die at the hands of wild wolves, ripped apart in a forest near the family’s opulent Catalonian home?
—David Opie, IndieWire, 15 Feb. 2026
This administration is ripping apart American families—that is wrong.
—Eleanor Dearman, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Feb. 2026
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 1 Mar. 2026.
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