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
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.
She was observed to be tearing up and shaking. Mike Toole, CBS News, 19 Dec. 2025 The bill was torn up and seemed like it’s lived a life. Natalie Jamieson, Variety, 6 Dec. 2025 Sprinting and contorting to the music, there’s the extraordinary physical performer Yandass, tearing up Theo Clinkard’s fluent choreography. Sara Holdren, Vulture, 5 Dec. 2025 The intelligent critters will rip off roof shingles to enter an attic, crawl through vents, give birth to their young in a chimney or tear up a home’s insulation to make their beds. Elliott Wenzler, Denver Post, 2 Dec. 2025 See All Example Sentences for tear up

Word History

First Known Use

1620, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of tear up was in 1620

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Tear up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tear%20up. Accessed 25 Dec. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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