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
Water surged over a gully running through the Valencian town, ripping apart roads and tearing down walls of homes.
—
Marco Rubio, Newsweek, 1 Nov. 2024
After Hamlet was ripped apart by reviewers, Rylance gathered the cast backstage, stood on a chair and told the company that their duty was to go on doing it around the country for the next 18 months.
—Baz Bamigboye, Deadline, 30 Oct. 2024
Mass deportation could rip apart deeply rooted families that include citizens and noncitizens, worsen labor shortages and lead to economic upset.
—Andrea Castillo, Los Angeles Times, 24 Oct. 2024
Posters of the president and his father Hafez, who began the family’s tyrannical rule five decades earlier, had been defaced, shot through or ripped apart.
—Justin Salhani, The Dial, 17 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for rip apart 
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Marco Rubio, Newsweek, 1 Nov. 2024
After Hamlet was ripped apart by reviewers, Rylance gathered the cast backstage, stood on a chair and told the company that their duty was to go on doing it around the country for the next 18 months.
—Baz Bamigboye, Deadline, 30 Oct. 2024
Mass deportation could rip apart deeply rooted families that include citizens and noncitizens, worsen labor shortages and lead to economic upset.
—Andrea Castillo, Los Angeles Times, 24 Oct. 2024
Posters of the president and his father Hafez, who began the family’s tyrannical rule five decades earlier, had been defaced, shot through or ripped apart.
—Justin Salhani, The Dial, 17 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for rip apart
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 17 Jan. 2025.
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