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
Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 9 Mar. 2026
And so, there [were] some tears.
—Christina Dugan Ramirez, FOXNews.com, 9 Mar. 2026
Helpers regularly hand out paper tissues for people to dab away tears.
—ABC News, 8 Mar. 2026
And most parents don’t like to see their kids’ fun turn to tears.
—Stephanie Ganz, Parents, 8 Mar. 2026
Like any good country preacher, Jackson could move people to tears and move them to act.
—Darcel Rockett, Chicago Tribune, 7 Mar. 2026
Sports are always better when the story ends with greatness — with Tiger Woods pumping his fist, not Shane Lowry fighting back tears.
—Mike Bianchi, The Orlando Sentinel, 7 Mar. 2026
During Missouri’s senior day ceremony after the game, Mitchell almost immediately broke into tears over the finality of his last home game.
—Kansas City Star, 7 Mar. 2026
Atget taught photography how to be specific, and how to look without tears.
—Hilton Als, New Yorker, 2 Mar. 2026
Rai Mincey, Southern Living, 10 Mar. 2026
His scientist creator, Victor Frankenstein, reluctantly agrees, but at the last moment tears the unfinished mate limb from limb as the creature watches on in horror.
—Leah Dolan, CNN Money, 6 Mar. 2026
Under her watch, Americans have been murdered in cold blood, DHS has obstructed lawful congressional oversight, dismissed credible reports of abuse, carried out an extreme agenda that tears families apart and destabilizes communities.
—The Editorial Board, Oc Register, 5 Feb. 2026
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
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
Noun
Tokenizing someone is always an ugly thing — yet Rubio deserves no tears.
—Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 9 Mar. 2026
And so, there [were] some tears.
—Christina Dugan Ramirez, FOXNews.com, 9 Mar. 2026
Helpers regularly hand out paper tissues for people to dab away tears.
—ABC News, 8 Mar. 2026
And most parents don’t like to see their kids’ fun turn to tears.
—Stephanie Ganz, Parents, 8 Mar. 2026
Like any good country preacher, Jackson could move people to tears and move them to act.
—Darcel Rockett, Chicago Tribune, 7 Mar. 2026
Sports are always better when the story ends with greatness — with Tiger Woods pumping his fist, not Shane Lowry fighting back tears.
—Mike Bianchi, The Orlando Sentinel, 7 Mar. 2026
During Missouri’s senior day ceremony after the game, Mitchell almost immediately broke into tears over the finality of his last home game.
—Kansas City Star, 7 Mar. 2026
Atget taught photography how to be specific, and how to look without tears.
—Hilton Als, New Yorker, 2 Mar. 2026
Verb
If the oyster tears slightly, don’t panic; flavor matters much more than perfection.
—Rai Mincey, Southern Living, 10 Mar. 2026
His scientist creator, Victor Frankenstein, reluctantly agrees, but at the last moment tears the unfinished mate limb from limb as the creature watches on in horror.
—Leah Dolan, CNN Money, 6 Mar. 2026
Under her watch, Americans have been murdered in cold blood, DHS has obstructed lawful congressional oversight, dismissed credible reports of abuse, carried out an extreme agenda that tears families apart and destabilizes communities.
—The Editorial Board, Oc Register, 5 Feb. 2026
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
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tears
Noun
-
Moore paired her bob with leather separates, which consisted of a tight-fitting jacket and skinny pants with slits up the ankles.—
Hannah Malach,
InStyle,
4 Mar. 2026
-
Using sharp metal disks that spin, the machine carves slits into the soil and drops the grass seed into those slits.—
David Beaulieu,
The Spruce,
19 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
It’s generally accepted that John rips Carolyn’s engagement ring off her finger in the park, and returns it when sitting on the curb.—
Radhika Seth,
Vogue,
27 Feb. 2026
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Costarring Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas and Elle Fanning, the film rips open the emotional wounds that are often left by one's parents.—
Patrick Ryan,
USA Today,
26 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
According to the footage, Falcinelli then moves toward the officer before the officer yanks him by the arm.—
Devoun Cetoute,
Miami Herald,
24 Feb. 2026
-
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
Verb
-
Gary, in his mail truck, rushes over to pick Ennis up.—
Maggie Fremont,
Vulture,
9 Mar. 2026
-
Kadri took line rushes during warmups with Valeri Nichushkin and Brock Nelson, but Bednar wanted to start the fan favorite in his return and just stuck with it.—
Corey Masisak,
Denver Post,
9 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The soft, durable material protects the table underneath from hot plates, spilled drinks and scratches, while the pattern is fun and charming.—
BestReviews,
Mercury News,
11 Mar. 2026
-
Don’t use the tablets on delicate surfaces like porcelain and ceramic because their strong chemicals can cause damage like scratches and dulling.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Barber then grabs her firearm from her vehicle and Riley's girlfriend also retrieves an item from the vehicle, according to the complaint.—
Drake Bentley,
jsonline.com,
6 Mar. 2026
-
Isabelle slides off Sarah’s lap, flings the towel, pulls on her swimming mask, grabs her mom’s hand and tugs her toward the pool.—
Gerald Witt,
AJC.com,
1 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
As Europe races toward energy independence, this facility could become a primary feeder for a pipeline network meant to power the continent’s heavy industry.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
12 Mar. 2026
-
That prompted the team to tab Myatt Snider, who races part-time in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series.—
Jeff Gluck,
New York Times,
2 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
This prevents smells, reduces the risk of pests, and speeds up breakdown when burying the peels.—
Michelle Mastro,
Martha Stewart,
7 Mar. 2026
-
That came as Xi’s purge of China’s military widened — including the removal of nine military officers from the congress last week — as China speeds up its goals of modernizing its army in the coming few years.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
5 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tears.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tears. Accessed 13 Mar. 2026.
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