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.
Star Joaquin Phoenix was tearing up as the applause continued. Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 16 May 2025 But Mayer has also been tearing up the minors, slugging .491, and is just waiting for his chance to play at Fenway. Dan Freedman, Forbes.com, 6 May 2025 Among those were objections from city officials who said including tanks and other heavy armored vehicles would tear up the roads. Lolita C. Baldor, Los Angeles Times, 2 May 2025 He’s already surpassed that games played total (27) and is tearing up the Pacific Coast League to the tune of a .364/.460/.682 line — tops in the league. Melissa Lockard, New York Times, 1 May 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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Tear up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tear%20up. Accessed 21 May. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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