tear apart

phrasal verb

tore apart; torn apart; tearing apart; tears apart

1

: to completely destroy (something) by tearing it into pieces

I couldn't open the box nicely, so I just tore it apart.

—often used figuratively

The robbers tore apart the house looking for the money.

We tore the other team apart in yesterday's game.

We can't agree, and it's tearing our family apart.

2

: to criticize (someone or something) in a very harsh or angry way especially by describing weaknesses, flaws, etc.

The article tears apart the company's handling of the situation.

They tore him apart when he left.

Examples of tear apart in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

No scales fell from his eyes, no repulsion at witnessing babies being torn apart by dogs awakened his consciousness. —Greg Grandin september 23, Literary Hub, 23 Sep. 2025

In that vacuum, religious zealots and cults manifest, nihilism thrives, and families are torn apart. —Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 23 Sep. 2025

Lies that confuse children, encourage self-destruction, and teach Americans to hate their own country have been allowed to flourish — tearing apart the very fabric of our society. —Carolyn McKinney, Boston Herald, 22 Sep. 2025

My heart broke at the thought that daddy wasn’t coming home for two little kids, and that poor mommy would have to try to explain what happened, endure sleepless nights, and try to move on with her family torn apart. —Matt Fleming, Oc Register, 20 Sep. 2025

Rhymes for tear apart

• counterpart
• art
• cart
• carte
• chart
• dart
• fart
• haart
• mart
• part
• smart
• start