tear apart
phrasal 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 figurativelyThe 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
If this slaughter of children didn’t move every person to work to prevent any other community from being torn apart by gun violence, then what would?
—
Scott Peters, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Oct. 2025
In the process, the land is torn apart by fierce rivals, shifting loyalties and bloody betrayals.
—Matt Grobar, Deadline, 10 Oct. 2025
But this mess, about a garage band that starts to see a hint of success and is immediately torn apart by the usual rock-movie clichés, never really gets going.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 10 Oct. 2025
The premiere ends with the 113 arriving at a country music festival, where an impending twister has torn apart the stage, resulting in several life-and-death crises.
—Andy Swift, TVLine, 9 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tear apart
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.
Scott Peters, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Oct. 2025
In the process, the land is torn apart by fierce rivals, shifting loyalties and bloody betrayals.
—Matt Grobar, Deadline, 10 Oct. 2025
But this mess, about a garage band that starts to see a hint of success and is immediately torn apart by the usual rock-movie clichés, never really gets going.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 10 Oct. 2025
The premiere ends with the 113 arriving at a country music festival, where an impending twister has torn apart the stage, resulting in several life-and-death crises.
—Andy Swift, TVLine, 9 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tear apart
Cite this Entry
“Tear apart.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tear%20apart. Accessed 25 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share