TEAR DOWN Synonyms: 170 Similar and Opposite Words

tear down

verb

Definition of tear down

as in to destroy

to bring to a complete end the physical soundness, existence, or usefulness of vandals tore down the wooden fence blocking the entrance to the beach

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to demolish

to destroy (as a building) completely by knocking down or breaking to pieces the new owners apparently bought the house just to tear it down and build a lavish mansion in its place

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 down Israeli authorities tore down a five-story building in east Jerusalem on Tuesday. — Arkansas Online, 3 Oct. 2026 What readers are saying The comments reflect a mix of opinions on the proposal to tear down a chapel to build a community space with a bar. — Dan Simmons, Washington Post, 2 Oct. 2026 There’s very serious jazz here in Los Angeles, in Jefferson High School, Central Avenue Jazz, the Dunbar Hotel, all the bars in that strip that got torn down from the 110. — Steve Baltin, Los Angeles Times, 28 Sep. 2026 Miller is referring to the original First National Bank building at Dearborn and Monroe, a contemporary of the Rector Building designed by Daniel Burnham and torn down in 1970. — Nina Metz, Chicago Tribune, 25 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for tear down

Recent Examples of Synonyms for tear down

Verb

Although much of the population in Java converted to Islam and Borobudur was abandoned, it was not destroyed.

— Lilit Marcus, CNN Money, 1 Oct. 2026
Careers are destroyed, lawsuits follow, and administrators calculate their exposure.

— Zain Khalid, Vulture, 1 Oct. 2026

Definition of destroy

Verb

And then the way the government dealt with them, which was to just demolish them, is also kind of prescient.

— Elisabeth Garber-Paul, Rolling Stone, 3 Oct. 2026
National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir attended the demolition and said Israeli authorities had demolished more than 10,000 structures built without permits over the past year and a half.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 3 Oct. 2026

Definition of demolish

Verb

On Monday, workers hauled out a 200-pound piece of equipment that was ruined by the saltwater and sand carried in on the high tides.

— Alex Harris, Miami Herald, 6 Oct. 2026
So our goal is to learn how to maximize AI budgets, not ration them and ruin productivity gains.

— Konstantin Klyagin, Forbes.com, 6 Oct. 2026

Definition of ruin

Verb

Still, the channel has always proven to be resilient — a veritable phoenix that keeps rising stronger and ever more creative after world-shattering events such as 9/11, the SARS outbreak and the 2008 world financial crisis.

— Jennifer Weil, Footwear News, 6 Oct. 2026
Downtown Los Angeles broke a daily heat record Monday with the mercury reaching 104 degrees, shattering the previous record of 101 set in 1954 and tied in 1971.

— Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 5 Oct. 2026

Definition of shatter

Verb

If checking your score reliably wrecks your morning, the device isn’t working for you.

— J. David Creswell, The Conversation, 6 Oct. 2026
Kyle Larson and Tyler Reddick crossed the line while wrecking after Larson hit the wall trying to chase down Briscoe on the final turn.

— Zach Dean OutKick, FOXNews.com, 5 Oct. 2026

Definition of wreck

Verb

Pi-o wins the competition, but is devastated at the disappearance of his friend.

— Kayti Burt, Time, 6 Oct. 2026
The goal, Ukrainian officials and military experts say, is to devastate Ukraine’s economy — and the country’s ability to sustain the war effort — while breaking the population’s will to fight by making everyday life increasingly difficult.

— Constant Méheut, New York Times, 3 Oct. 2026

Definition of devastate

Verb

However, the proposal faces a steep procedural obstacle in the Senate, where most legislation needs 60 votes to invoke cloture and overcome a filibuster.

— Kaelan Deese, The Washington Examiner, 1 Oct. 2026
To overcome this, scientists are exploring optical wireless communication options that can complement radio frequencies.

— Ameya Paleja, Interesting Engineering, 1 Oct. 2026

Definition of overcome

Verb

But of the leaders of those three mega-bands, perhaps the most mysterious remains Pete Townshend, The Who’s songwriter and enigmatic eminence, thrashing chords and smashing guitars while Roger Daltrey handled lead vocals.

— Matthew Carey, Deadline, 3 Oct. 2026
Breakfast and lunch staples including omelets, pancakes, French toast, smashed pot potatoes, hamburger steak, beef tips, pork chops and chicken and dumplings are returning to the menu, along with a few new items.

— Heidi Finley, Charlotte Observer, 2 Oct. 2026

Definition of smash

Browse Nearby Words

tearaways

tear down

teardrop

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Cite this Entry

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“Tear down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tear%20down. Accessed 8 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of tear down

verb

Example Sentences

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