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
Jermont Terry, CBS News, 10 Jan. 2026
Narrated by Colm Feore and James Hyndman in the English and French versions of the movie, respectively, the 17-minute stop-motion short follows a poor young boy who discovers a girl whose tears, evoked by a sad home life, turn into pristine pearls.
—Destiny Jackson, Deadline, 9 Jan. 2026
In her final moments in front of the cameras, Kelce, who turned 73 in October, let the tears flow.
—Lisa Gutierrez, Kansas City Star, 9 Jan. 2026
At the same time, this morning’s ceremony—honoring those who lost loved ones, pets, and homes—brought tears to my eyes.
—Michelle Edgar, Daily News, 8 Jan. 2026
There were tears that were shed.
—D. Orlando Ledbetter, AJC.com, 8 Jan. 2026
And my mother, who visited and cared for him almost every day for the past decade, is finally able to catch her breath and shed her tears.
—Scott Maxwell, The Orlando Sentinel, 8 Jan. 2026
Inside a local gymnasium at a community event for fire survivors this fall, surrounded by neighbors who had also lost their livelihoods, Decker broke into tears.
—Kyung Lah, CNN Money, 8 Jan. 2026
There are topics — heavy ones, weighty ones — that Squire talks about without coming close to tears.
—Emily Brindley, Dallas Morning News, 8 Jan. 2026
Alexandra Simon, CBS News, 8 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
That inner critic tears you down to the core.
—Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 12 Nov. 2025
Whatever pulls them together may also be the thing that tears them apart.
—Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 30 Oct. 2025
Noun
Christopher Patterson's mother held back tears as his family and friends gathered on Friday outside the home where the 23-year-old lost his life two days before.
—Jermont Terry, CBS News, 10 Jan. 2026
Narrated by Colm Feore and James Hyndman in the English and French versions of the movie, respectively, the 17-minute stop-motion short follows a poor young boy who discovers a girl whose tears, evoked by a sad home life, turn into pristine pearls.
—Destiny Jackson, Deadline, 9 Jan. 2026
In her final moments in front of the cameras, Kelce, who turned 73 in October, let the tears flow.
—Lisa Gutierrez, Kansas City Star, 9 Jan. 2026
At the same time, this morning’s ceremony—honoring those who lost loved ones, pets, and homes—brought tears to my eyes.
—Michelle Edgar, Daily News, 8 Jan. 2026
There were tears that were shed.
—D. Orlando Ledbetter, AJC.com, 8 Jan. 2026
And my mother, who visited and cared for him almost every day for the past decade, is finally able to catch her breath and shed her tears.
—Scott Maxwell, The Orlando Sentinel, 8 Jan. 2026
Inside a local gymnasium at a community event for fire survivors this fall, surrounded by neighbors who had also lost their livelihoods, Decker broke into tears.
—Kyung Lah, CNN Money, 8 Jan. 2026
There are topics — heavy ones, weighty ones — that Squire talks about without coming close to tears.
—Emily Brindley, Dallas Morning News, 8 Jan. 2026
Verb
This is definitely something that tears at your heartstrings.
—Alexandra Simon, CBS News, 8 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
That inner critic tears you down to the core.
—Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 12 Nov. 2025
Whatever pulls them together may also be the thing that tears them apart.
—Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 30 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tears
Noun
-
This year's event, which is hosted by Chelsea Handler, also drew Teyana Taylor, Jessica Biel, Meghann Fahy and more stars who stepped out in classic silhouettes, modern suiting, dangerously high slits and so much more.—
Jackie Fields,
PEOPLE,
5 Jan. 2026
-
Fixmatti Two-Piece Knit Sweatsuit Between the high-neckline, side slits, cuffed hemline, and wide-leg pants, this Fixmatti Two-Piece Knit Sweatsuit screams quiet luxury.—
Alyssa Morin,
InStyle,
1 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Eleven flies up to be face-to-face with the Mind Flayer, rips out his throat, jumps inside, and in one sleek-as-hell move, rips Vecna down from the Mind Flayer power source he’s been plugged into.—
Maggie Fremont,
Vulture,
1 Jan. 2026
-
In the clip, Oshry, who welcomed her first son Reuben, with her husband, Ben Soffer, in May, reaches into her fridge to grab a head of cabbage, then rips open her animal-print bathrobe to show a compression bra stuffed with cabbage leaves.—
Cara Lynn Shultz,
PEOPLE,
16 Dec. 2025
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
-
The woman who later identified herself as Good's partner rushes to the Honda Pilot.—
Chris Looft,
ABC News,
8 Jan. 2026
-
Denver’s defense rushes the passer as well as any other team in the league.—
The Athletic NFL Staff,
New York Times,
5 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
After several flights, the shell is still free of scratches and signs of wear.—
Nicol Natale,
PEOPLE,
8 Nov. 2025
-
In the Facebook video, Loki happily accepted gentle petting and head scratches.—
Liz O'Connell,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
But the sustained fury grabs you.—
Jackson McHenry,
Vulture,
4 Nov. 2025
-
Today, artificial intelligence grabs headlines and AI stocks are soaring.—
Drew O’Connor,
Nashville Tennessean,
2 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Youngkin’s comments come after Democrats swept last night’s statewide and House of Delegates races in Virginia.—
Julia Manchester,
The Hill,
5 Nov. 2025
-
Detroit City Council races Along with a heated mayor's race, there are two open districts seats and two at-large seats up for grabs on the Detroit City Council.—
Detroit Free Press,
Freep.com,
3 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
After the shooting, the SUV speeds into two cars parked on a curb before crashing to a stop.—
Rebecca Santana,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Jan. 2026
-
This slows down the release of ethylene gas, which speeds up ripening.—
Nashia Baker,
Martha Stewart,
9 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tears.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tears. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
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