tear apart

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

The third question that could tear apart the deal is the Strait of Hormuz. —Hamidreza Azizi, Time, 19 June 2026

Hancock's life was torn apart when his wife, Reagan Simmons-Hancock, was brutally murdered. —Caroline Blair, PEOPLE, 16 June 2026

The administration’s threats force my children to grow up fearing their family can be torn apart. —Monica Rodriguez-Aguilera, New York Daily News, 15 June 2026

Michael Olise — France/Bayern Munich Olise made the leap to serious Ballon d’Or contender last season, tearing apart Bundesliga defences and elite Champions League opponents from his starting position on the right flank. —Liam Twomey, New York Times, 11 June 2026

Rhymes for tear apart

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