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

Consider it a hometown tour led by a queen who’s captivated the world but still knows exactly where to find the best pho, the coolest art, and the perfect perch to watch someone else tear up the dance floor. —Todd Plummer, Condé Nast Traveler, 12 June 2026

Tourists can tear up at Firefighter Memorial Fountain, capture the picturesque Rose Garden Fountain at Loose Park and sink into the history of not just fountains, but neighborhoods, cultural landmarks and public art across the city. —Sophie Lindberg, Kansas City Star, 11 June 2026

For now though, Michael remains on top, even if his fans are tearing up the film online. —Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 11 June 2026

Video from the storm showed rain and wind that reached speeds of 40 mph tearing up a tent, with one person flying through the air while trying to hold it down as another person rolls uncontrollably down a hill. —CBS News, 7 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1620, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for tear up

• backup
• blowup
• breakup
• buildup
• checkup
• cleanup
• holdup
• hookup
• lineup
• lockup
• makeup
• markup