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
Ronnie Li, USA Today, 11 Sep. 2025
This test evaluates the quantity and quality of your tears to diagnose dry eye syndrome.
—Lindsay Curtis, Health, 10 Sep. 2025
There were tears and hugs among the 42-strong teammates, as confetti and streamers rained down.
—Lars Brandle, Billboard, 10 Sep. 2025
With both Chrisley parents finally on the outside, the kids reunite them over FaceTime, which causes Todd to break into tears.
—Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 10 Sep. 2025
Yet the very substance that reduces some diners to tears also offers some surprising benefits.
—Diana Hubbell, Popular Science, 10 Sep. 2025
That’s when the bride lost it and tears were running.
—Ashlyn Robinette, PEOPLE, 10 Sep. 2025
Damon had tears in his eyes and immediately thought about Affleck.
—Zack Sharf, Variety, 9 Sep. 2025
Through tears, the father of slain Nasir Delaney-Rowland shared a statement in court that his son was one of a kind.
—Olivia Lloyd, Miami Herald, 4 Sep. 2025
Chad Hanna, The Conversation, 10 Sep. 2025
But as the war tears at civilian life, Sashi’s four brothers and their friend K are pulled into the conflict.
—Eliana Ramage
september 4, Literary Hub, 4 Sep. 2025
Bad Bunny plays Colorado, the drug ring leader, and Regina King is a crooked NY cop who tears the protagonist’s ordinary life apart.
—Malik Peay, Essence, 27 Aug. 2025
Naomi holds her family together and tears it apart in ways that feel instantly familiar in unsettling or reductive ways.
—Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 22 Aug. 2025
In 2019, Roger Federer stood at center court in Basel, Switzerland, with gold confetti raining from above and tears streaming down his face.
—Justin Birnbaum, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2025
That process involves selling a majority of units to a developer who dissolves the condo association, tears the building down and builds new.
—Rebecca Liebson, Sun Sentinel, 11 Aug. 2025
Jacob Anderson tears into the undead flesh of the enemies who murdered his daughter, channeling his pain and fury into a series of increasingly gruesome vampiric assassinations.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 9 Aug. 2025
Several speakers had to take a moment to contain themselves, their voices breaking and tears streaming.
—Charles Rabin, Miami Herald, 7 Aug. 2025
Noun
Click the video below to see a sweet brotherly reunion filled with the kind of hug that comes with happy tears and pure joy.
—Ronnie Li, USA Today, 11 Sep. 2025
This test evaluates the quantity and quality of your tears to diagnose dry eye syndrome.
—Lindsay Curtis, Health, 10 Sep. 2025
There were tears and hugs among the 42-strong teammates, as confetti and streamers rained down.
—Lars Brandle, Billboard, 10 Sep. 2025
With both Chrisley parents finally on the outside, the kids reunite them over FaceTime, which causes Todd to break into tears.
—Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 10 Sep. 2025
Yet the very substance that reduces some diners to tears also offers some surprising benefits.
—Diana Hubbell, Popular Science, 10 Sep. 2025
That’s when the bride lost it and tears were running.
—Ashlyn Robinette, PEOPLE, 10 Sep. 2025
Damon had tears in his eyes and immediately thought about Affleck.
—Zack Sharf, Variety, 9 Sep. 2025
Through tears, the father of slain Nasir Delaney-Rowland shared a statement in court that his son was one of a kind.
—Olivia Lloyd, Miami Herald, 4 Sep. 2025
Verb
In this kind of system, scientists theorize that the black hole tears the neutron star apart before swallowing it, which releases electromagnetic waves.
—Chad Hanna, The Conversation, 10 Sep. 2025
But as the war tears at civilian life, Sashi’s four brothers and their friend K are pulled into the conflict.
—Eliana Ramage
september 4, Literary Hub, 4 Sep. 2025
Bad Bunny plays Colorado, the drug ring leader, and Regina King is a crooked NY cop who tears the protagonist’s ordinary life apart.
—Malik Peay, Essence, 27 Aug. 2025
Naomi holds her family together and tears it apart in ways that feel instantly familiar in unsettling or reductive ways.
—Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 22 Aug. 2025
In 2019, Roger Federer stood at center court in Basel, Switzerland, with gold confetti raining from above and tears streaming down his face.
—Justin Birnbaum, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2025
That process involves selling a majority of units to a developer who dissolves the condo association, tears the building down and builds new.
—Rebecca Liebson, Sun Sentinel, 11 Aug. 2025
Jacob Anderson tears into the undead flesh of the enemies who murdered his daughter, channeling his pain and fury into a series of increasingly gruesome vampiric assassinations.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 9 Aug. 2025
Several speakers had to take a moment to contain themselves, their voices breaking and tears streaming.
—Charles Rabin, Miami Herald, 7 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tears
Noun
-
Laying in an almost illusion deconstruction, the black fabric featured cutouts to reveal the white corset beneath the bustline in a plunging V shape and at the sides, along with waist-high slits on either side of the front of the skirt.—
Julia Teti,
Footwear News,
16 Sep. 2025
-
Net pots are plastic containers with slits that allow roots to grow through.—
The San Diego Union Tribune,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
13 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
But Thing, who Isaac had sewn back onto his arm, regains his autonomy and rips Isaac’s heart out.—
Selome Hailu,
Variety,
5 Sep. 2025
-
Roberts brings a jolt of invigorating fury to one of the movie’s strongest scenes, in which the mentor rips into her mentee in public on a campus square with a fully detailed character assassination.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
29 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Thing rebels against his master and yanks out his clockwork heart.—
Jessica M. Goldstein,
Vulture,
4 Sep. 2025
-
After deciding to take his family to a tourist town for some fun in the sun, a minor encounter with local bullies yanks the family into the crosshairs of an unhinged, blood-thirsty crime boss (Sharon Stone), who is determined to derail his relaxation.—
Billie Melissa,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Where at one time soldiers and sailors made do with fluttering flags or flashes of light to send simple messages, the modern warfighter is part of a global digital network where data rushes about like water out of a firehose and satellites act as a vital link in that network.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
6 Sep. 2025
-
Beard would finish on the ground with 3 rushes for 20 yards and a single score.—
Chris Winters,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
6 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The array of ferocious brushstrokes, scratches, and painterly drips amplify the complex dialogue, inviting the viewer’s interpretation.—
Natasha Gural,
Forbes.com,
13 Sep. 2025
-
Propelled by one of guitarist Wes Borland’s hypnotic riffs, crunching beats, old-school record scratches and the group’s signature shouty choruses, the whole thing comes crashing to a close with a pummeling final chorus that finally nods to the country star in the title.—
Gil Kaufman,
Billboard,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
But the feeling when a film grabs hold remains the same—by a story, a character, a voice—that, never goes out of season.—
Okla Jones,
Essence,
10 Sep. 2025
-
The lilting Calle Malaga, Morocco’s official entry for the International Feature Film Oscar, is a joy largely because of its veteran star who envelops the screen and grabs a role of a career.—
Pete Hammond,
Deadline,
9 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
And as the country races toward an election, politics and contemporary issues will also be front and center.—
Liz Rothaus Bertrand,
Charlotte Observer,
11 Sep. 2025
-
As the world races to decarbonize, clean energy storage is becoming the central challenge.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Anduril highlights that the architecture also speeds software updates.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
10 Sep. 2025
-
Insoluble fiber speeds up digestion and keeps your gut running smoothly.—
Courtney Southwick,
Health,
8 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Tears.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tears. Accessed 17 Sep. 2025.
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