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 The relentless waves destroyed decks, tore down walls and appeared to flood several of the homes on Beach Road, part of the Capistrano Bay Community Services District. — Grace Toohey, Los Angeles Times, 10 Sep. 2026 The developer would tear down and renovate some of the dilapidated affordable units. — Desiree Mathurin, Charlotte Observer, 9 Sep. 2026 Critics say Trump is tearing down the national security infrastructure with no clear vision of what comes next, aside from protecting the president's personal interests. — Greg Myre, NPR, 9 Sep. 2026 In 1974, Art Carney won the Best Actor Oscar for Paul Mazursky’s Harry & Tonto as a retired New Yorker who sets out on a cross-country journey to visit family with his cat after his building is being torn down. — Pete Hammond, Deadline, 9 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for tear down

Recent Examples of Synonyms for tear down

Verb

The fire destroyed the historic Grand Canyon Lodge, cabins and other structures.

— ABC News, ABC News, 17 Sep. 2026
Mark Zuckerberg certainly wants no part of one, and cutthroat competition seems hard-coded into tech executives, who are rich enough not to need to win but wake up every morning trying to destroy each other anyway.

— Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 17 Sep. 2026

Definition of destroy

Verb

In New York City, light-up drones recreated the outlines of the twin towers that used to be a fixture in the skyline before they were demolished in the attacks.

— Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 11 Sep. 2026
One drone operator talks about going out for lunch or hanging out with their friends in Tel Aviv after demolishing people’s houses in Gaza from miles away.

— Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 10 Sep. 2026

Definition of demolish

Verb

To me, that would ruin all of the progress baseball has made over the last five years.

— Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 14 Sep. 2026
My personal concern is especially based on the fact that their huge need for additional electricity generation could very well ruin our ability to reduce carbon emissions and avoid a climate crisis.

— Martin Kushler, Washington Post, 11 Sep. 2026

Definition of ruin

Verb

Delicately beautiful, with big emotions and a dramatic flair, the cosseted Vivien’s world was shattered at the age of six, when she was sent to be raised in a convent in England.

— Hadley Hall Meares, Vanity Fair, 21 Sep. 2026
Revived fighting shattered a 2022 ceasefire as Houthis strike Saudi cities, oil facilities and shipping, declare a blockade and claim growing power.

— Samy Magdy, Los Angeles Times, 20 Sep. 2026

Definition of shatter

Verb

Here’s how the shift happened, what the ingredient actually does below the neck and how to fold it into a routine without wrecking your skin barrier.

— Hanna Wickes, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 Sep. 2026
Following instructions from the kidnappers (unbeknownst to his increasingly agitated comrades), Lee drives out to meet them for the exchange, only to wreck his car and become distracted saving a nearby woman, Hua (Moon Lee).

— Jake Cole, IndieWire, 10 Sep. 2026

Definition of wreck

Verb

The horrors for women and girls are prevalent everywhere, Theron said, but her native South Africa is particularly devastated by it.

— Angelique Jackson, Variety, 21 Sep. 2026
Florida citrus growers are planting trees with gene-editing technology to combat the deadly citrus greening disease that has devastated many of their crops.

— Brittney Melton, NPR, 21 Sep. 2026

Definition of devastate

Verb

To overcome this, the Delft team engineered a lightweight processing pipeline that runs onboard using a mere 34 kilobytes of memory.

— Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 18 Sep. 2026
Edwards doubts that voluntary oversight will overcome the commercial incentives to release their latest, most powerful models.

— Jacek Krywko, Scientific American, 17 Sep. 2026

Definition of overcome

Verb

The image of babies smashed to bits is likely to arouse protests like Abraham’s.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 18 Sep. 2026
The helicopter crashed in a driveway between two warehouses, smashing into a pair of truck cargo containers while the news crew tried grabbing video footage of a serious collision involving a Metro bus that also left two people dead.

— Carlos De Loera, Los Angeles Times, 18 Sep. 2026

Definition of smash

Browse Nearby Words

tearaways

tear down

teardrop

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“Tear down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tear%20down. Accessed 22 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of tear down

verb

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