tear up
verb
tore up; torn up; tearing up; tears up
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
Then, one evening, packing up, Cali saw Ronny tearing up.
—
Bryan Washington, New Yorker, 7 Sep. 2025
On a tip from some Ford executives, Davis hired his first full-time driver -- Jeff Gordon, at the time a 19-year-old who had been tearing up the dirt tracks across the Midwest.
—Arkansas Online, 7 Sep. 2025
Surprised at the news, and after a Neon representative explained it further, Reinsve, 37, became visibly moved and began to tear up.
—Clayton Davis, Variety, 31 Aug. 2025
In the midst of Saturday Night Live's recent cast shakeup, Devon Walker doesn't seem too torn up about bidding Studio 8H farewell.
—Shania Russell, EW.com, 31 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tear up
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.
Bryan Washington, New Yorker, 7 Sep. 2025
On a tip from some Ford executives, Davis hired his first full-time driver -- Jeff Gordon, at the time a 19-year-old who had been tearing up the dirt tracks across the Midwest.
—Arkansas Online, 7 Sep. 2025
Surprised at the news, and after a Neon representative explained it further, Reinsve, 37, became visibly moved and began to tear up.
—Clayton Davis, Variety, 31 Aug. 2025
In the midst of Saturday Night Live's recent cast shakeup, Devon Walker doesn't seem too torn up about bidding Studio 8H farewell.
—Shania Russell, EW.com, 31 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tear up
Cite this Entry
“Tear up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tear%20up. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share