1
2
3
as in to speed
to proceed or move quickly
she tore out of the room as soon as the phone started to ring
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of tear
Kristen Rogers, CNN Money, 10 Jan. 2026
Poppy does her best to hold back tears and doesn't respond.
—Jordana Comiter, PEOPLE, 10 Jan. 2026
Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 10 Jan. 2026
That’s not to mention backup center Moe Wagner, who continues to rehab his left knee more than a year removed from tearing his ACL.
—Jason Beede, The Orlando Sentinel, 10 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for tear
Noun
In addition to pain, light sensitivity and obscured vision, acanthamoeba keratitis can also cause redness, dryness, excessive tears and a sensation of a foreign body in the eye.
—Kristen Rogers, CNN Money, 10 Jan. 2026
Poppy does her best to hold back tears and doesn't respond.
—Jordana Comiter, PEOPLE, 10 Jan. 2026
Verb
Unbeknownst to him, the Creature manages to escape by using his supernatural strength to tear off his chains and scuttle through a drainage pipe to freedom.
—Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 10 Jan. 2026
That’s not to mention backup center Moe Wagner, who continues to rehab his left knee more than a year removed from tearing his ACL.
—Jason Beede, The Orlando Sentinel, 10 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for tear
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tear
Noun
-
From the label's spring 1998 collection, her black and white corset dress featured a plunging neckline and double thigh-high slits.—
Hannah Malach,
InStyle,
8 Jan. 2026
-
The back slit, on the other hand, provides enough room to walk and sit freely without feeling restrictive.—
Alicia Geigel,
Southern Living,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Ellis had stolen the ball and ripped all hope from him and his offense on that play.—
Andrew Callahan,
Boston Herald,
12 Jan. 2026
-
One person was taken into custody after a fire ripped through a synagogue in Mississippi, heavily damaging the historic house of worship in what authorities say was an act of arson.—
Charlotte Kramon,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Therefore Primate and its promising central character turns more into a typical slasher flick, repeatedly knocking off the swimsuit-wearing teens one by one, his specialty being yanking out jaws and other bloody grossouts.—
Pete Hammond,
Deadline,
8 Jan. 2026
-
Officer Alex Millan then yanked open the passenger door of the suspects’ car; at the same time, the car drove forward over the curb.—
Bay Area News Group,
Mercury News,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
His arm was pinned into the back window of a car as a suspect sped away, dragging him across the pavement for about 100 yards, according to court documents.—
Allison Gordon,
CNN Money,
9 Jan. 2026
-
By speeding up the transit time of your stomach contents, fiber may reduce the amount of time that stomach acid can irritate your esophagus, Dilley added.—
Maggie O'Neill,
Verywell Health,
8 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
James was named a starter last season, but was a late scratch from the event because of foot and ankle injuries.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
13 Jan. 2026
-
Because most of the archival footage lacked audio, Iwerks collaborated with Skywalker Sound to create auditory elements — like hammers, paintbrushes and train engines — from scratch.—
Colson Thayer,
PEOPLE,
13 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Start your very own love affair with Outcrease Retinol Trifecta Serum by grabbing a bottle today, and check out some of Dermelect’s other skin correcting serums and facial oils below.—
Michelle Baricevic,
InStyle,
14 Jan. 2026
-
Madison outrebounded Point Loma 36-24, with Stevens grabbing seven and Moore five.—
John Maffei,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
14 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The man who once ignored his own safety to scurry out onto a frozen pond, crashing through the ice to rescue my yellow lab.—
Scott Maxwell,
The Orlando Sentinel,
8 Jan. 2026
-
If seeing one scurrying through your living room sends you scrambling for a quick remedy, your instincts are on track.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
1 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The Clippers raced to a 14-5 lead, but the Knicks answered with eight straight points and the game was close for the first three quarters.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
8 Jan. 2026
-
In Altadena, employees with the small local water utilities raced across town protecting and fixing the water systems firefighters relied on.—
Noah Haggerty,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tear.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tear. Accessed 15 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
