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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of tears
Nadeen Ebrahim,
CNN Money,
4 July 2026
In rare cases, extreme pressure can cause tears in the esophagus.
—
Jennifer Borresen,
USA Today,
3 July 2026
Fans broke into song and some were moved to tears as Argentina passed to the Round of 16.
—
Delia Sauer,
Miami Herald,
3 July 2026
Three years in, a contracting partner pulled him into a bear hug at a holiday party, tears in his eyes, telling him how much being part of it meant.
—
Jodie Cook,
Forbes.com,
2 July 2026
Taking a few extra minutes to protect it during transport can help prevent tears, moisture damage, and debris from compromising the materials.
—
Jamie Cuccinelli,
Martha Stewart,
1 July 2026
The reunion brought happy tears For Ame's children, Lucy's return changed the whole mood in the house.
—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
1 July 2026
Following a bout of tears in the hotel restaurant, the couple returns to their room, at which point Dodi pulls out a jewelry box.
—
Emma Banks,
InStyle,
1 July 2026
Lionel Messi was overcome with emotion after scoring his first goal against Algeria, and said after that match his tears came following some tough days not related to soccer.
—
ABC News,
22 June 2026
Brayden Garcia,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
26 June 2026
As an example of how his platform would work, Wehmeyer pointed to processing insurance claims after a tornado tears through a house in Minnesota.
—
Camila Grigera Naón,
Fortune,
24 June 2026
While the director tears his hair out, the producers see the footage and sign the Minions on the spot, but their fame is short-lived with the arrival of the talkies.
—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
21 June 2026
Peppler tears big chunks of it off and passes it around for everyone to try, before illustrating the culinary importance of a good pissaladière.
—
Jennifer Leigh Parker,
Forbes.com,
12 June 2026
When a battery dies, the industry routinely tears it apart to access the parts that matter.
—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
10 June 2026
Heavy machinery tears into the Chit Chat Cafe at the base of the Pacifica Municipal Pier, June 9, 2026.
—
Carlos E. Castañeda,
CBS News,
9 June 2026
The Un Certain Regard best actor award went to Bradley Fiomona Dembeasset for his turn in Rafiki Fariala’s Congo Boy, playing a teen talent in the Central African Republic who dreams of a career in music as a civil war tears his country apart.
—
Scott Roxborough,
HollywoodReporter,
22 May 2026
There was laughter, nervous laughter, lots of nervous laughter, and also tears.
—
Roberto Prieto,
Variety,
19 May 2026
Noun
Some waving flags, others wiping away tears, thousands have gathered in Tehran for the funeral of Iran’s former supreme leader.
—
Nadeen Ebrahim,
CNN Money,
4 July 2026
In rare cases, extreme pressure can cause tears in the esophagus.
—
Jennifer Borresen,
USA Today,
3 July 2026
Fans broke into song and some were moved to tears as Argentina passed to the Round of 16.
—
Delia Sauer,
Miami Herald,
3 July 2026
Three years in, a contracting partner pulled him into a bear hug at a holiday party, tears in his eyes, telling him how much being part of it meant.
—
Jodie Cook,
Forbes.com,
2 July 2026
Taking a few extra minutes to protect it during transport can help prevent tears, moisture damage, and debris from compromising the materials.
—
Jamie Cuccinelli,
Martha Stewart,
1 July 2026
The reunion brought happy tears For Ame's children, Lucy's return changed the whole mood in the house.
—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
1 July 2026
Following a bout of tears in the hotel restaurant, the couple returns to their room, at which point Dodi pulls out a jewelry box.
—
Emma Banks,
InStyle,
1 July 2026
Lionel Messi was overcome with emotion after scoring his first goal against Algeria, and said after that match his tears came following some tough days not related to soccer.
—
ABC News,
22 June 2026
Verb
Carter further complicates things in last week’s episode, when he drunkly tears an animal mount off the wall during Oreana’s grandmother’s big party at the 10-Petal Ranch.
—
Brayden Garcia,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
26 June 2026
As an example of how his platform would work, Wehmeyer pointed to processing insurance claims after a tornado tears through a house in Minnesota.
—
Camila Grigera Naón,
Fortune,
24 June 2026
While the director tears his hair out, the producers see the footage and sign the Minions on the spot, but their fame is short-lived with the arrival of the talkies.
—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
21 June 2026
Peppler tears big chunks of it off and passes it around for everyone to try, before illustrating the culinary importance of a good pissaladière.
—
Jennifer Leigh Parker,
Forbes.com,
12 June 2026
When a battery dies, the industry routinely tears it apart to access the parts that matter.
—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
10 June 2026
Heavy machinery tears into the Chit Chat Cafe at the base of the Pacifica Municipal Pier, June 9, 2026.
—
Carlos E. Castañeda,
CBS News,
9 June 2026
The Un Certain Regard best actor award went to Bradley Fiomona Dembeasset for his turn in Rafiki Fariala’s Congo Boy, playing a teen talent in the Central African Republic who dreams of a career in music as a civil war tears his country apart.
—
Scott Roxborough,
HollywoodReporter,
22 May 2026
There was laughter, nervous laughter, lots of nervous laughter, and also tears.
—
Roberto Prieto,
Variety,
19 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tears
Noun
-
Her bodycon mermaid skirt was covered in diagonal rows of slits, exposing glimpses of her legs, hips, and butt.
-
Enter, this chic and minimalist two-piece set from Missactiver, which includes a tube top with side-slits and button closures and high-rise shorts with pockets.
Verb
-
During his tour, a solar flare causes an electromagnetic disturbance that rips through the systems of civilization and into the data center.
-
Bell rips Bargatze for attending the UFC Freedom 250 fights at Donald Trump‘s White House earlier this month.
Verb
-
Like a false note on an out-of-tune piano, a clunky verb, a sentence without rhythm, yanks the reader out the flow of the work.
-
Maden takes thee wine bottle from him and the officers reach for his wrists but Brown resists and yanks his arms back, the video shows.
Verb
-
Instead, the film rushes to its next action beat.
-
Babcock is a possession coach; Bouchard’s brilliant passes tape-to-tape out of the defensive zone are textbook starters for rushes up the ice.
Noun
-
Because the child had no visible bite marks or scratches and appeared to be unharmed, his family did not seek medical care.
-
The byproduct was irritated, itchy skin with the discomfort of scratches, scabs and the stink that accompanied it.
Verb
-
Once inside, she’s confronted by Tommy (James Eddie), who stupidly grabs her to escort her out.
-
When forecasters warn about a heat wave, the number that grabs headlines is the daytime high.
Verb
-
Anthropic has accused the Chinese firm Alibaba of launching the largest attack yet attempting to clone Claude, as China races to match the capabilities of Anthropic’s leading model following Mythos’ release and subsequent restriction from foreign markets.
-
Once again, extraordinary wealth is concentrating into fewer hands while technology races ahead faster than society’s moral conscience.
Verb
-
Frequent mowing keeps clippings small, preventing smothering and speeds up decomposition for reuse.
-
The First Alert Weather Team is keeping an eye on this next storm system, just in case the timeline speeds up.
Cite this Entry
“Tears.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tears. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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