tear (someone or something) to pieces/shreds

idiom

: to criticize (someone or something) in a very harsh or angry way
They tore my idea to pieces.
The actress was torn to shreds in the press.

Examples of tear (someone or something) to pieces/shreds in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Then sit back and watch the Swifties unleash their fury and tear to shreds the Gordian knot that was once catastrophic global warming. Ivan Ehlers, The New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2023 And with thy bloody and invisible hand Cancel and tear to pieces that great bond Which keeps me pale! Coincidence? Andrew Stuttaford, National Review, 11 Aug. 2020

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'tear (someone or something) to pieces/shreds.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Dictionary Entries Near tear (someone or something) to pieces/shreds

Cite this Entry

“Tear (someone or something) to pieces/shreds.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tear%20%28someone%20or%20something%29%20to%20pieces%2Fshreds. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

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