teardown

1 of 2

noun

tear·​down ˈter-ˌdau̇n 

: the act or process of disassembling

tear down

2 of 2

verb

tore down; torn down; tearing down; tears down

transitive verb

1

a

: to cause to decompose or disintegrate

b

: vilify, denigrate

trying to tear down his reputation

2

: to take apart : disassemble

tear down an engine

Synonyms

Verb

• annihilate
• cream
• decimate
• demolish
• desolate
• destroy
• devastate
• do in
• extinguish
• nuke
• pull down
• pulverize
• raze
• rub out
• ruin
• shatter
• smash
• total
• vaporize
• waste
• wrack
• wreck

Examples of teardown in a Sentence

Verb

vandals tore down the wooden fence blocking the entrance to the beach

the new owners apparently bought the house just to tear it down and build a lavish mansion in its place

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

And 20 of them will be targets for speculation and teardowns under the City of Yes rules, replaced by three to five-story walk-ups with up to 10 apartments or condos. —Joe Enright, New York Daily News, 14 July 2024

For the first season of the show, WGBH restored an old Victorian house in Dorchester, Mass., revealing to viewers the potential of homes that at first glance might look like teardowns. —Emily Langer, Washington Post, 28 June 2024

Verb

The grand Ambassador — a Wilshire Boulevard landmark that never got past the notoriety of that night — was torn down to make way for a learning complex in RFK’s memory complete with a Judy Baca mural. —Shelby Grad, Los Angeles Times, 16 July 2024

The plaintiffs who are trying to stop the tear down are also seeking a new vote on whether or not to demolish the building. —David Matthews, New York Daily News, 16 July 2024

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1926, in the meaning defined above

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

tear down

verb

: to knock down and break into pieces

tear down an old building