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

The flood tore up buildings, roads and other infrastructure along its path; the full extent of the damage will likely take weeks or even months to assess. — Claire Cameron, Scientific American, 27 Aug. 2026

The animals tear up crops, pastures, fences, roads and waterways, damage habitat used by native wildlife and can carry diseases capable of affecting livestock, wildlife and humans. — Amber Harding Outkick, FOXNews.com, 24 Aug. 2026

Unaccompanied migrant children facing deportation lost their legal representation after Trump tore up contracts with their nonprofit and legal aid defenders. — Suzanne Gamboa, NBC news, 20 Aug. 2026

For example, leaves detached from a mother plant, especially if threatened, torn up, or shredded, display high levels of anxiety. — Literary Hub, 20 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1620, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for tear up

• backup
• blowup
• breakup
• buildup
• checkup
• cleanup
• holdup
• hookup
• lineup
• lockup
• makeup
• markup