1
as in rips
to cause (something) to separate into jagged pieces by violently pulling at it
angrily tore the letter to shreds
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in yanks
to separate or remove by forceful pulling
tore the book from his hand
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in rushes
to proceed or move quickly
she tore out of the room as soon as the phone started to ring
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of tears
Literary Hub, 27 Jan. 2026
Blum looked around, stunned with tears welling in her eyes.
—Aaron Sullivan, Austin American Statesman, 26 Jan. 2026
Olivia Wilde was brought to tears at the world premiere of her new film The Invite.
—Mike Miller, Entertainment Weekly, 25 Jan. 2026
There were tears, cheers, a few standing ovations (for Michelle Satter and Amy Redford), a surprise performance by Patti LuPone, and a slew of awards presented during a nearly three-hour fundraiser held at Grand Hyatt Deer Valley in Park City, Utah.
—Chris Gardner, HollywoodReporter, 24 Jan. 2026
If the answer is yes, dry your tears and wait to see the result when an amateur pushes a professional out of the way on the most important day in a young bride’s life.
—Abigail Van Buren, Boston Herald, 23 Jan. 2026
The image of an emotional Luka Doncic fighting tears from falling down his face while watching his tribute video is a lasting memory from his first game at American Airlines Center as an opponent.
—Mike Curtis, Dallas Morning News, 23 Jan. 2026
Bernstein was stoic as the family recounted their suffering, wiping their tears.
—Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 23 Jan. 2026
And yes – this brings tears to my eyes.
—Barbara Sprunt, NPR, 23 Jan. 2026
Jp Mangalindan, Time, 27 Jan. 2026
This is definitely something that tears at your heartstrings.
—Alexandra Simon, CBS News, 8 Jan. 2026
The Druze exception proves the rule—when repression crosses Israeli red lines, the paper tiger externally tears.
—Güney Yıldız, Forbes.com, 7 Jan. 2026
These bags keep the items from experiencing friction that tears at the fibers.
—Ashlyn Needham, Southern Living, 29 Dec. 2025
Not wanting to be shown up, Boq then tears off his own shirt, much to Nessarose's joy.
—Sydney Bucksbaum, Entertainment Weekly, 26 Dec. 2025
Jonathan Groff tears into Broadway’s hit Bobby Darin bio-musical with a volcanic, full-body performance that never lets up.
—Dave Quinn, PEOPLE, 18 Dec. 2025
The sheet stays intact until pressure reaches the crease, then tears easily.
—Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 28 Nov. 2025
Here, the actor tears a man’s soul apart and then, gradually, pieces a few bits of it back together.
—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 14 Nov. 2025
Noun
In 2022, Japanese researchers found that dogs produced tears when reuniting with their humans.
—Literary Hub, 27 Jan. 2026
Blum looked around, stunned with tears welling in her eyes.
—Aaron Sullivan, Austin American Statesman, 26 Jan. 2026
Olivia Wilde was brought to tears at the world premiere of her new film The Invite.
—Mike Miller, Entertainment Weekly, 25 Jan. 2026
There were tears, cheers, a few standing ovations (for Michelle Satter and Amy Redford), a surprise performance by Patti LuPone, and a slew of awards presented during a nearly three-hour fundraiser held at Grand Hyatt Deer Valley in Park City, Utah.
—Chris Gardner, HollywoodReporter, 24 Jan. 2026
If the answer is yes, dry your tears and wait to see the result when an amateur pushes a professional out of the way on the most important day in a young bride’s life.
—Abigail Van Buren, Boston Herald, 23 Jan. 2026
The image of an emotional Luka Doncic fighting tears from falling down his face while watching his tribute video is a lasting memory from his first game at American Airlines Center as an opponent.
—Mike Curtis, Dallas Morning News, 23 Jan. 2026
Bernstein was stoic as the family recounted their suffering, wiping their tears.
—Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 23 Jan. 2026
And yes – this brings tears to my eyes.
—Barbara Sprunt, NPR, 23 Jan. 2026
Verb
Wielding his powers, Simon tears the cell bars away.
—Jp Mangalindan, Time, 27 Jan. 2026
This is definitely something that tears at your heartstrings.
—Alexandra Simon, CBS News, 8 Jan. 2026
The Druze exception proves the rule—when repression crosses Israeli red lines, the paper tiger externally tears.
—Güney Yıldız, Forbes.com, 7 Jan. 2026
These bags keep the items from experiencing friction that tears at the fibers.
—Ashlyn Needham, Southern Living, 29 Dec. 2025
Not wanting to be shown up, Boq then tears off his own shirt, much to Nessarose's joy.
—Sydney Bucksbaum, Entertainment Weekly, 26 Dec. 2025
Jonathan Groff tears into Broadway’s hit Bobby Darin bio-musical with a volcanic, full-body performance that never lets up.
—Dave Quinn, PEOPLE, 18 Dec. 2025
The sheet stays intact until pressure reaches the crease, then tears easily.
—Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 28 Nov. 2025
Here, the actor tears a man’s soul apart and then, gradually, pieces a few bits of it back together.
—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 14 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tears
Noun
-
The strap is pinched at the center and features two open slits on each side.—
Karla Rodriguez,
Footwear News,
26 Jan. 2026
-
The two side slits add another layer of effortlessness.—
Alyssa Morin,
InStyle,
17 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
With Pres as the DJ, Gabe rips through damn-near all of Sortilège like a pro.—
Alphonse Pierre,
Pitchfork,
30 Jan. 2026
-
Fast forward to today, and, somehow, the tremendously rotund AMG GT rips down twisty roads with nearly as much athleticism as fare weighing 2,000-or-more pounds less.—
Peter Nelson,
Forbes.com,
20 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Judy yanks Mikey’s roller trunk out of the mud and leads him toward one of the nearby hiking trails.—
Michael Nied,
PEOPLE,
26 Nov. 2025
-
Suddenly, someone in the audience yanks her violently into the screaming mass of people.—
Madeleine Marr,
Miami Herald,
10 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Dangerously cold temperatures will set in for several days as arctic air rushes behind the storm.—
Kayla Hayempour,
NBC news,
26 Jan. 2026
-
Defenseman Caleb Racki was also a major standout for the Spartans, disrupting a handful of promising rushes the Cougars could have scored on otherwise.—
Tom Mulherin,
Boston Herald,
24 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Blood was also around his nose and mouth, and scratches.—
Jordana Comiter,
PEOPLE,
29 Jan. 2026
-
Beyond its polished look, the durable material is built to resist scuffs and scratches from regular wear.—
Alicia Geigel,
Southern Living,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Video shows that in the seconds before Pretti is shot, the 37-year-old ICU nurse grabs the observer’s backpack when he is pulled to the ground by a group of agents.—
Yahya Abou-Ghazala,
CNN Money,
30 Jan. 2026
-
The officer grabs Pretti’s shirt at his chest, pulling him back toward the vehicle as Pretti’s arms flail.—
Michael Biesecker,
Fortune,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
That is because the House sent the DHS funding over to the Senate tied together with billions in spending for defense, health, transportation and other federal agencies, in part to expedite the process as Congress races to meet a Friday deadline to keep the government fully open.—
Sam Gringlas,
NPR,
26 Jan. 2026
-
But when Zara leaves, Rhys races back to his house and goes through his files from the case.—
Barry Levitt,
Time,
21 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The formula also includes Persian silk tree extract, a fancy-sounding ingredient that speeds up your skin’s healing process, resulting in a brighter, fresher complexion.—
Tamim Alnuweiri,
InStyle,
20 Jan. 2026
-
After weeks of focusing on stability, the energy lightens and speeds up.—
Dossé-Via Trenou,
Refinery29,
18 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tears.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tears. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
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