tear up

verb

tore up; torn up; tearing up; tears up

transitive verb

1
: to damage, remove, or effect an opening in
tore up the street to lay a new water main
2
: to perform or compete with great success on, in, or against
couples tearing up the dance floor
a batter who's tearing up the league

Examples of tear up in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
An Illinois State University teaching assistant has been fired after he was captured on video flipping a Turning Point USA table and tearing up the group's flyers. Peter D'abrosca, FOXNews.com, 20 Oct. 2025 Kathya still tears up talking about Katy’s ordeal, the slow road to recovery and how their lives were shattered that evening, a day that had begun with joy, a celebration with her best friends, many of whom grew up on the waterways in Coral Gables and Coconut Grove. David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 19 Oct. 2025 Is tearing up families and sending good, working people away really the right thing to do? Sal Rodriguez, Oc Register, 18 Oct. 2025 The all-star group tore up covers of songs by the Funkadelic, the Ohio Players, Jimi Hendrix, Sly & the Family Stone, Prince (of course), the Time and even Led Zeppelin and the Beatles. Jem Aswad, Variety, 15 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for tear up

Word History

First Known Use

1620, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of tear up was in 1620

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Cite this Entry

“Tear up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tear%20up. Accessed 27 Oct. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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