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
Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 10 Feb. 2026
Gripped with pain, tears streamed down her face the entire two-hour trip from the airport to her parents’ home in Albany.
—Lindsay Schnell, New York Times, 9 Feb. 2026
Many tears have been shed — joyous ones for the winners and heartbreak for the losers.
—John Wawrow, Chicago Tribune, 9 Feb. 2026
Lucy Hinck seemed on the verge of tears.
—Laurie Perez, CBS News, 9 Feb. 2026
Brands go all out, dropping millions on flashy spots brimming with celebrities and nostalgia that aim to split sides or spill tears.
—Debby Wolfinsohn, Entertainment Weekly, 8 Feb. 2026
The tears shed, both by Vonn and those closest to her, were real.
—Will Graves, Twin Cities, 8 Feb. 2026
In the teaser, Cliff lounges at a bar, drifts through a few film sets, and tears around a dirt track in a derby car.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 8 Feb. 2026
In 2022, Japanese researchers found that dogs produced tears when reuniting with their humans.
—Literary Hub, 27 Jan. 2026
Andrew Gelwicks, Vogue, 3 Feb. 2026
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
Noun
While the 27-year-old skater was brought to tears after seeing her final time, Paul was in the stands doing the same, surrounded by her family, who also couldn’t help but cry tears of joy.
—Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 10 Feb. 2026
Gripped with pain, tears streamed down her face the entire two-hour trip from the airport to her parents’ home in Albany.
—Lindsay Schnell, New York Times, 9 Feb. 2026
Many tears have been shed — joyous ones for the winners and heartbreak for the losers.
—John Wawrow, Chicago Tribune, 9 Feb. 2026
Lucy Hinck seemed on the verge of tears.
—Laurie Perez, CBS News, 9 Feb. 2026
Brands go all out, dropping millions on flashy spots brimming with celebrities and nostalgia that aim to split sides or spill tears.
—Debby Wolfinsohn, Entertainment Weekly, 8 Feb. 2026
The tears shed, both by Vonn and those closest to her, were real.
—Will Graves, Twin Cities, 8 Feb. 2026
In the teaser, Cliff lounges at a bar, drifts through a few film sets, and tears around a dirt track in a derby car.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 8 Feb. 2026
In 2022, Japanese researchers found that dogs produced tears when reuniting with their humans.
—Literary Hub, 27 Jan. 2026
Verb
Catherine uplifted us in a world that often tears us down.
—Andrew Gelwicks, Vogue, 3 Feb. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tears
Noun
-
The silhouettes reflect the original styles with design elements, including functional skirt slits, raised collars and wraparound jacket style.—
Sandra Salibian,
Footwear News,
6 Feb. 2026
-
The two side slits add another layer of effortlessness.—
Alyssa Morin,
InStyle,
17 Jan. 2026
Verb
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There’s one unloved hotel and little else to see from Highway 31, the road that rips through town and runs far, far north, all the way to Lake Michigan.—
Rob Picheta,
CNN Money,
7 Feb. 2026
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The bear that rips the plastic bass to shreds is AI-generated, said Nathan Monteith, the executive creative director at Highdive.—
Liam Rappleye,
USA Today,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
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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
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New England Patriots' safety Craig Woodson rushes Seattle Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III on Sunday.—
Tim Rohan,
NBC news,
9 Feb. 2026
-
Walker ranks top 10 in both yards per carry and rushes of 10-plus yards in the red zone, according to NGS.—
Eddie Brown,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
8 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Chemical irritants affect the eyes, skin and lungs first, causing scratches to the surface of the eye, painful skin reactions, breathing difficulties and acute psychological distress.—
Michele Heisler,
The Conversation,
4 Feb. 2026
-
Forwards Pavol Regenda, Jeff Skinner, and defenseman Sam Dickinson will be the healthy scratches.—
Curtis Pashelka,
Mercury News,
4 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The fun begins when a snook grabs the bait.—
Steve Waters,
Miami Herald,
6 Feb. 2026
-
Even the Puppy Bowl crew occasionally grabs a few.—
Marina Johnson,
Louisville Courier Journal,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Annabelle Gordon | Reuters House and Senate Democrats on Wednesday laid out their demands for immigration enforcement reform as Congress races to avoid a shutdown at the Department of Homeland Security.—
Garrett Downs,
CNBC,
4 Feb. 2026
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When a quark races through plasma, an anti-quark should exist, travelling at precisely the same speed but in the opposite direction.—
Robert Lea,
Space.com,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Starting with cake mix is a clever shortcut that not only speeds up the baking progress, but yields a cookie with an extra supple texture.—
Alana Al-Hatlani,
Southern Living,
9 Feb. 2026
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That speeds up the process and allows more patients to be seen in the same amount of time.—
Lisa Eadicicco,
CNN Money,
9 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tears.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tears. Accessed 10 Feb. 2026.
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