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
Though both of them tear up, neither of them openly cries.
—
Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 6 Mar. 2026
Neighbors said the construction project would require tearing up residential blocks, eliminating street parking and restricting access to some homes.
—Jt Moodee Lockman, CBS News, 4 Mar. 2026
Larger areas may require a power dethatcher, but use it carefully to avoid tearing up healthy turf.
—Jessica Safavimehr, Southern Living, 4 Mar. 2026
The narrator of Repetition tears up her diary and flushes the pages down the toilet.
—Honor Jones, The Atlantic, 3 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for tear up
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Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 6 Mar. 2026
Neighbors said the construction project would require tearing up residential blocks, eliminating street parking and restricting access to some homes.
—Jt Moodee Lockman, CBS News, 4 Mar. 2026
Larger areas may require a power dethatcher, but use it carefully to avoid tearing up healthy turf.
—Jessica Safavimehr, Southern Living, 4 Mar. 2026
The narrator of Repetition tears up her diary and flushes the pages down the toilet.
—Honor Jones, The Atlantic, 3 Mar. 2026
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 Mar. 2026.
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