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
The family has been ripped apart, first by her daughter’s death and then by her grandson’s death, and never wholly recovered.
—
Angie Dimichele, Sun Sentinel, 17 June 2025
Tens of thousands of white Americans faced similar dilemmas in a war that ripped apart brothers, friends, and even fathers and sons.
—Zaakir Tameez
june 11, Literary Hub, 11 June 2025
Up close and personal, Stephenson and his team see how it’s been ripped apart — the guts of the ship, twisted sheets of metal and objects of daily life blown across a massive debris field.
—Sean Kingsley, HollywoodReporter, 11 Apr. 2025
Mason Dye’s vengeful jock Jason Carver was also killed—his body ripped apart by an interdimensional gate in the Creel House—as was Matthew Modine’s Dr. Martin Brenner, who was shot by a US army sniper.
—Radhika Seth, Vogue, 2 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for rip apart
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Angie Dimichele, Sun Sentinel, 17 June 2025
Tens of thousands of white Americans faced similar dilemmas in a war that ripped apart brothers, friends, and even fathers and sons.
—Zaakir Tameez
june 11, Literary Hub, 11 June 2025
Up close and personal, Stephenson and his team see how it’s been ripped apart — the guts of the ship, twisted sheets of metal and objects of daily life blown across a massive debris field.
—Sean Kingsley, HollywoodReporter, 11 Apr. 2025
Mason Dye’s vengeful jock Jason Carver was also killed—his body ripped apart by an interdimensional gate in the Creel House—as was Matthew Modine’s Dr. Martin Brenner, who was shot by a US army sniper.
—Radhika Seth, Vogue, 2 June 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 30 Jun. 2025.
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