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 Several of this week’s top single-family contracts were for homes that will likely be torn down and redeveloped. — Catherine Odom, Miami Herald, 25 Aug. 2026 The site has now been sequestered and Malosso was ordered to tear down the theater, though its fate remains to be seen. — Julia Buckley, CNN Money, 24 Aug. 2026 Several bus routes, however, have been detoured to accommodate the set up and tear down of the race. — Mike Stunson, USA Today, 20 Aug. 2026 The 34-acre site now houses Beckman-Coulter, which will be moving in approximately two years and the buildings torn down. — Terri Daxon, Oc Register, 20 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for tear down

Recent Examples of Synonyms for tear down

Verb

Almost 50 homes and other structures have been destroyed so far; there have been several injuries, and one of Tibbetts’s neighbors lost 20 German shepherds.

— Anya Kamenetz, Curbed, 28 Aug. 2026
The flood then destroyed roads and knocked out power and phone networks, leaving families unable to establish even the most basic facts.

— Laura Saravia, NBC news, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of destroy

Verb

Later demolished, the home sat directly across the street from a far more modern residence by a designer with ties to the Tao restaurant chain and the Venetian Las Vegas.

— Demetrius Simms, Robb Report, 25 Aug. 2026
That then will allow the existing Willowcreek Middle School to be demolished.

— Doug Ross, Chicago Tribune, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of demolish

Verb

In addition, the original estimate that the Falcon 9 reusable boosters were only good for 10 flights has been shattered by the latest mission using a booster that had flown 37 times.

— David Szondy August 25, New Atlas, 26 Aug. 2026
In 1985, the director Kevin Sullivan produced, with primary funding from the Canadian Broadcasting Company and support from PBS, a record-shattering Anne miniseries.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of shatter

Verb

In addition, Moscow continued its efforts to wreck the Ukrainian power grid before the freezing winter months.

— Hanna Arhirova, Los Angeles Times, 27 Aug. 2026
But in a case of life imitating art, the show’s entire publicity strategy was inadvertently wrecked by a real-life aristocrat, after reports leaked that Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, was being eyed for a role in the series.

— K.J. Yossman, Variety, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of wreck

Verb

DeLind said that his former business partner, who passed away in February, had been devastated by the theft.

— Francesca Aton, ARTnews.com, 24 Aug. 2026
His city had been the epicenter of the worst American riot in generations, and his country had thrown its support behind Israel, helping to devastate parts of his ancestral home.

— Rozina Ali, New Yorker, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of devastate

Verb

And then, with the game in the balance, Taylor’s two 3-pointers over the Valkyries — against man-to-man defense — was too much to overcome.

— Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 22 Aug. 2026
This method could potentially be adapted for industrial manufacturing, but there were still limitations to overcome, with the biggest one being the quality of the material.

— Maryna Holovnova, New Atlas, 22 Aug. 2026

Definition of overcome

Verb

The male driver and woman passenger reported that the officers smashed the car window during the late-night traffic stop in Phoenix, according to a statement from Phoenix police.

— CBS News, CBS News, 24 Aug. 2026
The male driver and female passenger reported that during the late-night traffic stop in Phoenix, the officers smashed the car window, according to a statement from Phoenix police.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 24 Aug. 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 29 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of tear down

verb

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