1
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
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
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
The historic bandstand that caught fire in Denver’s City Park in March is not salvageable and will need to be torn down, according to Mayor Mike Johnston and Denver Parks & Recreation.
—
John Wenzel, Denver Post, 8 June 2026
The large tower that helps coordinate systems and ground infrastructure at the pad sustained significant charring in the blast, but is in fine-enough shape that Limp said it can be repaired rather than needing to be torn down and rebuilt.
—Josh Dinner, Space.com, 3 June 2026
Construction projects like tearing down the White House's East Wing and repainting the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool have made headlines.
—Michelle Del Rey, USA Today, 3 June 2026
Now, its full-size pickup truck is starting to tear down that legacy.
—Joel Feder, The Drive, 3 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for tear down
John Wenzel, Denver Post, 8 June 2026
The large tower that helps coordinate systems and ground infrastructure at the pad sustained significant charring in the blast, but is in fine-enough shape that Limp said it can be repaired rather than needing to be torn down and rebuilt.
—Josh Dinner, Space.com, 3 June 2026
Construction projects like tearing down the White House's East Wing and repainting the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool have made headlines.
—Michelle Del Rey, USA Today, 3 June 2026
Now, its full-size pickup truck is starting to tear down that legacy.
—Joel Feder, The Drive, 3 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for tear down
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tear down
Verb
-
Madeira is intentionally exposed to heat and oxygen during aging, something that would destroy most wines.—
Emily Price,
Forbes.com,
14 June 2026
-
Terminix utilizes the advanced Sentricon baiting system alongside traditional liquid barriers to destroy subterranean colonies entirely.—
Nick Perry,
USA Today,
14 June 2026
Verb
-
Tony Chunkapura's home had to be gutted and demolished after the flooding in 2021.—
Evan Bush,
NBC news,
12 Dec. 2025
-
And so the idea to demolish visible panty lines was born.—
Brittany Talarico,
PEOPLE,
11 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
Historically, barrels of Madeira spent months crossing tropical oceans aboard ships, and merchants realized that the heat actually improved the wine rather than ruining it.—
Emily Price,
Forbes.com,
14 June 2026
-
However, for some, gambling is an addiction that can ruin lives and families.—
Don Sweeney,
Sacbee.com,
14 June 2026
Verb
-
Reese pulled down 17 rebounds, 11 on the offensive end, recording her ninth double-double of the season with 15 points.—
Christopher Harris,
CBS News,
15 June 2026
-
Becerra, the son of Mexican immigrants whose construction worker father didn’t go past the sixth grade, was pulling down good grades at McClatchy High in Sacramento when he was invited to a summer program at UC Davis for promising students of color.—
George Skelton,
Mercury News,
10 June 2026
Verb
-
The strikes, which Afghanistan's Taliban rulers said hit the eastern provinces of Khost, Kunar and Paktika, shattered more than a month of calm in the war.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
10 June 2026
-
One woman was accused of throwing a chair through a glass door and shattering it.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
10 June 2026
Verb
-
The six jurors in George Pino’s vessel-homicide and manslaughter trial took a road trip to North Miami on Thursday morning to view his boat, which was wrecked in the crash that killed a teenage girl and severely injured two others.—
David Goodhue,
Miami Herald,
11 June 2026
-
Common errors like picking the wrong rug size, furniture layout, color palette, window treatments, and more can wreck your home decor.—
Kristin Hohenadel,
The Spruce,
10 June 2026
Verb
-
While several of these positions are vacant to avoid layoffs, representatives said the reductions would nevertheless devastate public safety efforts.—
Reeti Malhotra
June 11,
Sacbee.com,
11 June 2026
-
The screwworm, which has the capacity to devastate cattle and sheep herds, has now appeared in Texas, where its costs could be enormous.—
Business Columnist,
Los Angeles Times,
11 June 2026
Verb
-
Another cuts to Nina smashing dishes across the kitchen floor before being comforted by Enzo.—
Emily Blackwood,
PEOPLE,
7 Dec. 2025
-
Disney’s record-smashing Thanksgiving tentpole Zootopia 2 is looking at a second-place finish with $45 million from 4,000 sites, bringing its domestic total to north of $222 million through Sunday.—
Pamela McClintock,
HollywoodReporter,
6 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Tear down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tear%20down. Accessed 17 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
