teardown

1 of 2

noun

tear·​down ˈter-ˌdau̇n 

: the act or process of disassembling

tear down

2 of 2

verb

tore down; torn down; tearing down; tears down

transitive verb

1

a

: to cause to decompose or disintegrate

b

: vilify, denigrate

trying to tear down his reputation

2

: to take apart : disassemble

tear down an engine

Synonyms of teardown

Verb

• destroy
• ruin
• demolish
• shatter
• wreck
• devastate
• overcome
• pull down
• smash
• damage

Examples of teardown in a Sentence

Verb

vandals tore down the wooden fence blocking the entrance to the beach

the new owners apparently bought the house just to tear it down and build a lavish mansion in its place

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Miami Dolphins Give the Dolphins credit for going all in on the teardown. — Parker Gabriel, Denver Post, 6 Sep. 2026

The inability to move the chains or protect the quarterback eventually brought an end to Stefanski's six-year run in Cleveland, setting off a massive winter teardown. — David Troy Outkick, FOXNews.com, 3 Sep. 2026

Verb

Because the Dems want their money to tear down this country and rebuild it — a communist goal. — Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 23 Sep. 2026

That set off a frenzy among people in those neighborhoods and community organizers who don’t want houses torn down. — Charlotte Observer, 20 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1926, in the meaning defined above

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for teardown

• adown
• blowdown
• breakdown
• countdown
• crackdown
• crosstown
• downtown
• drawdown
• dropdown
• facedown
• godown
• hometown

Kids Definition

tear down

verb

: to knock down and break into pieces

tear down an old building