1
as in destroying
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 demolishing
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 tearing down
Backes said plans call for tearing down the existing building where the call center is located and building a data center that would conform to North Richland Hills’ requirements.
—
Elizabeth Campbell,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
25 June 2026
The British Government is desperate to make progress in tearing down trade barriers.
—
Anand Menon,
Time,
13 June 2026
Yes to hugging and high-fiving a stranger; no to tearing down a lamppost and smashing a cop car.
—
New York Daily News Editorial Board,
New York Daily News,
12 June 2026
Removing a dam, however, is rarely as simple as tearing down concrete.
—
Radina Gigova,
CNN Money,
27 May 2026
Crews started tearing down what's left of the building Saturday.
—
Alexa Herrera,
CBS News,
12 May 2026
Notably, the same kids host a show dedicated to tearing down everything their parents stand for.
—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
7 May 2026
Among Republicans, 65% support tearing down the East Wing of the White House to make room for a ballroom.
—
Emily Guskin,
ABC News,
30 Apr. 2026
To mitigate this, staff proposed a adding a demolition-control ordinance to the amendment to keep people from simply tearing down houses.
—
Nollyanne Delacruz,
Mercury News,
23 Apr. 2026
Elizabeth Campbell,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
25 June 2026
The British Government is desperate to make progress in tearing down trade barriers.
—
Anand Menon,
Time,
13 June 2026
Yes to hugging and high-fiving a stranger; no to tearing down a lamppost and smashing a cop car.
—
New York Daily News Editorial Board,
New York Daily News,
12 June 2026
Removing a dam, however, is rarely as simple as tearing down concrete.
—
Radina Gigova,
CNN Money,
27 May 2026
Crews started tearing down what's left of the building Saturday.
—
Alexa Herrera,
CBS News,
12 May 2026
Notably, the same kids host a show dedicated to tearing down everything their parents stand for.
—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
7 May 2026
Among Republicans, 65% support tearing down the East Wing of the White House to make room for a ballroom.
—
Emily Guskin,
ABC News,
30 Apr. 2026
To mitigate this, staff proposed a adding a demolition-control ordinance to the amendment to keep people from simply tearing down houses.
—
Nollyanne Delacruz,
Mercury News,
23 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tearing down
Verb
-
Mexican fruit flies are one of the world’s most destructive pests when laying their eggs, destroying or damaging fruit such as apples, grapefruits, avocados, peaches and pears, according to the California Department of Food and Agriculture.
-
But Blue Origin suffered a major setback in May when one of its New Glenn rockets abruptly exploded on the launchpad, destroying vital infrastructure that will take months to rebuild.
Verb
-
Digital Realty already began demolishing the inside of the building, so Gray believed the agreement was set.
-
But everyday people expressed their political outrage time and again, throwing rocks at and demolishing the houses of government officials, torching the king’s ships and forts and, eventually, marching to battle.
Verb
-
The company was saving a few bucks but ruining its product.
-
Adidas’s everyday sneakers can handle 20,000 steps without ruining an outfit, perfectly balancing cool with comfy.
Verb
-
Good to see that the additional stock supply isn’t pulling down the market.
-
Chicago area still cleaning up after Wednesday storms All this is happening on the heels of a day where storms wreaked havoc all around the Chicago area, pulling down trees and power lines and leaving hundreds of thousands of customers without power.
Verb
-
Loss of this support, which is said to cover 25% of the center’s operating costs, would have been devastating both financially and reputationally.
-
These giant invasive snakes are devastating the Everglades ecosystem by eating through the native food web without any natural predators to keep them in check.
Verb
-
SpaceX’s record-shattering IPO has minted thousands of new millionaires, unleashing a wave of high-end home shoppers poised to reshape Southern California’s already tight coastal housing markets.
-
The record-shattering heat waves in Europe last week and in the western US in March are two recent examples.
Verb
-
As many little heartbeats as possible, just running around, wrecking stuff in the house.
-
What is in tandem here is the exuberantly generative possibility of life itself (SCOBY, water) alongside the very synthetic polymers that are literally wrecking life on an individual and systemic level.
Verb
-
Powell is accused of smashing the mug over the victim's head.
-
France saw around 1,000 additional deaths last week at the height of its record-smashing heat wave, the country's public health agency said Sunday, as the head of the World Health Organization warned that Europe is now the fastest-warming continent and needs to do more to protect its citizens.
Cite this Entry
“Tearing down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tearing%20down. Accessed 1 Jul. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
