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
Stephen Hawkins, Chicago Tribune, 22 June 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
He was seen in tears after his first goal.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 22 June 2026
After identifying the injuries, the doctors used laser treatments to mend the retinal tears and rips and seal the break.
—Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 22 June 2026
The Way Home wrapped its fourth and final season with several splashes, from viewers' tears landing on their shirts to Kat and Alice's last leap into the pond.
—Breanne L. Heldman, PEOPLE, 22 June 2026
George Pino breaks down into tears as attorneys deliver opening statements in his trial on Monday, June 8, 2026.
—Steven Yablonski, CBS News, 22 June 2026
There's a video game that's going viral for making players break down in tears.
—Charles Trepany, USA Today, 21 June 2026
Unlike standard eye drops that get washed away by tears within minutes, living eye drops use bacteria that colonize the eye and continuously release therapeutic proteins after a single application.
—Samantha Agate, Kansas City Star, 16 June 2026
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
But their fresh start is quickly upended when a wildfire tears through the property.
—Samantha Stutsman, PEOPLE, 16 May 2026
The current moment tears the Band-Aid off this old conflict and the complex system underneath.
—Caroline Wagner, The Conversation, 30 Apr. 2026
Drink, drugs and sometimes tears.
—Jessica Guynn, USA Today, 28 Apr. 2026
Noun
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.
—Stephen Hawkins, Chicago Tribune, 22 June 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
He was seen in tears after his first goal.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 22 June 2026
After identifying the injuries, the doctors used laser treatments to mend the retinal tears and rips and seal the break.
—Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 22 June 2026
The Way Home wrapped its fourth and final season with several splashes, from viewers' tears landing on their shirts to Kat and Alice's last leap into the pond.
—Breanne L. Heldman, PEOPLE, 22 June 2026
George Pino breaks down into tears as attorneys deliver opening statements in his trial on Monday, June 8, 2026.
—Steven Yablonski, CBS News, 22 June 2026
There's a video game that's going viral for making players break down in tears.
—Charles Trepany, USA Today, 21 June 2026
Unlike standard eye drops that get washed away by tears within minutes, living eye drops use bacteria that colonize the eye and continuously release therapeutic proteins after a single application.
—Samantha Agate, Kansas City Star, 16 June 2026
Verb
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
But their fresh start is quickly upended when a wildfire tears through the property.
—Samantha Stutsman, PEOPLE, 16 May 2026
The current moment tears the Band-Aid off this old conflict and the complex system underneath.
—Caroline Wagner, The Conversation, 30 Apr. 2026
Drink, drugs and sometimes tears.
—Jessica Guynn, USA Today, 28 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tears
Noun
-
The cap-sleeve tee has pintucked pleats across the chest, side slits, and a subtly relaxed fit.—
Jamie Allison Sanders,
PEOPLE,
17 June 2026
-
The pair of breezy pants feature a tie at the waist and thigh-high slits on either side of her legs, creating the illusion of a wrap skirt.—
Chanel Vargas,
InStyle,
13 June 2026
Verb
-
The audience never sees the monstrous version of Naim that Ryan is so afraid of, one that rips his skin apart and bruises him, cementing Naim’s position as the story’s narrator.—
Arushi Jacob,
Variety,
19 June 2026
-
Continue reading … GLOVES OFF — Fired '60 Minutes' veteran rips new bosses as incompetent, claims pro-Trump bias.—
,
FOXNews.com,
8 June 2026
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.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
19 May 2026
-
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.—
Rocco Parascandola,
New York Daily News,
19 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Faced with ambiguity, the mind rushes in to solve it — to know.—
Nancy Colier,
Baltimore Sun,
17 June 2026
-
Traffic rushes by on the surrounding streets, but within the 16-acre neighborhood of Culdesac, cars are conspicuously absent.—
Evie Carrick,
Travel + Leisure,
12 June 2026
Noun
-
The two women allegedly pushed each other near a chain link fence in Martinez’s backyard, leading to both of them suffering scratches, the document said.—
Justin Muszynski,
Hartford Courant,
17 June 2026
-
As if rapping from a speeding time machine, Wiki flows about yellow taxis turning into Uber Eats over an instrumental that cruises from a soft breakbeat into a total breakdown of glitchy scratches courtesy of Lil Ugly Mane.—
Lei Takanashi,
Pitchfork,
16 June 2026
Verb
-
The design is what grabs your attention at first sight.—
Utkarsh Sood
June 12,
New Atlas,
12 June 2026
-
The goal is to have a welcoming environment that grabs visitors' attention.—
Quincy Bulin,
Southern Living,
10 June 2026
Verb
-
Once again, extraordinary wealth is concentrating into fewer hands while technology races ahead faster than society’s moral conscience.—
Tom Debley,
Mercury News,
16 June 2026
-
While Jackson County races to hear the last of homeowners’ appeals from the troubled 2023 property valuation cycle, some could be eligible for a class action lawsuit.—
Ilana Arougheti
June 13,
Kansas City Star,
13 June 2026
Verb
-
Frequent mowing keeps clippings small, preventing smothering and speeds up decomposition for reuse.—
Peg Aloi,
The Spruce,
21 June 2026
-
The First Alert Weather Team is keeping an eye on this next storm system, just in case the timeline speeds up.—
Cutter Martin,
CBS News,
18 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tears.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tears. Accessed 23 Jun. 2026.
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