TEARING DOWN Synonyms: 172 Similar and Opposite Words

tearing down

verb

present participle of tear down

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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

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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 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 Human Rights Watch said authorities have taken sweeping steps to curb religious practice, including tearing down churches and crosses, blocking gatherings at unregistered churches and seizing religious materials not approved by the state. —

Greg Wehner, FOXNews.com, 17 Apr. 2026 Workers were tearing down the court at the near-empty United Center late Sunday afternoon after Michigan’s win over Tennessee when a roar erupted from the nearby media workroom. —

Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 31 Mar. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for tearing down

Verb

For decades, factories discharged pollution into waterways and wetlands, destroying natural habitats and forcing residents to live in the shadow of smokestacks and refineries.

— Gretchen Kalwinski, Chicago Tribune, 12 June 2026
In my view, Iran is hellbent on destroying Israel and America.

— Letters to the Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 12 June 2026