TEARS Synonyms: 157 Similar and Opposite Words

tears 1 of 2

noun

plural of tear

as in slits

a long deep cut repaired a tear in the theater curtain just before the start of the show

Synonyms & Similar Words

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tears

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of tear

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

as in yanks

to separate or remove by forceful pulling tore the book from his hand

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

reattaches

as in rushes

to proceed or move quickly she tore out of the room as soon as the phone started to ring

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of tears

Noun

While relatives looked on in bemusement, my brother and I burst into tears, inconsolable. — Ishaan Tharoor, New Yorker, 16 July 2026 On Wednesday, Argentina player Lisandro Martínez was asked if the banner could have stirred deep emotions and tears for a veteran of the Malvinas conflict. — Jill Lawless, Los Angeles Times, 16 July 2026 Today, the first-line therapy for a painful knee with degenerative tears is physical therapy and, for some people, weight loss. — Dr. Elisabeth Rosenthal, CBS News, 13 July 2026 Fighting back tears, protester Katie Barrow told NBC Boston she was heartbroken that someone died because of immigration enforcement. — Julia Ainsley, NBC news, 13 July 2026 Audience members cheer, laugh and occasionally wipe away tears as people publicly celebrate those closest to them. — Kansas City Star, 13 July 2026 The condition occurs due to a slow breakdown of the cells in the aorta, which has likely been going on silently for many years before the weakened area of the aortic wall finally gives away and tears. — Vanessa Etienne, PEOPLE, 13 July 2026 Karolína Muchová’s ability to find humor through her tears after losing the Wimbledon final to friend and fellow Czech Linda Nosková was impressive — and the line was perfectly delivered. — Ava Wallace, New York Times, 13 July 2026 This week, the odds had settled at around 70% favoring tears. — Jon Sarlin, CNN Money, 11 July 2026

Verb

Carter further complicates things in last week’s episode, when he drunkly tears an animal mount off the wall during Oreana’s grandmother’s big party at the 10-Petal Ranch. — Brayden Garcia, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 26 June 2026 As an example of how his platform would work, Wehmeyer pointed to processing insurance claims after a tornado tears through a house in Minnesota. — Camila Grigera Naón, Fortune, 24 June 2026 While the director tears his hair out, the producers see the footage and sign the Minions on the spot, but their fame is short-lived with the arrival of the talkies. — Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 21 June 2026 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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for tears

Noun

His mother, who spent time in jail and rehab due to drug addiction, testified Colt repeatedly damaged their home, broke TVs and cut slits into furniture.

— Devon M. Sayers, CNN Money, 11 July 2026
The French label also brought back the 2010’s black jean with double knee slits.

— Angela Velasquez, Footwear News, 9 July 2026

Definition of slits

Verb

It’s followed by Watts, coming in on drums slightly offbeat, and then Richards, who rips the song open with his five-string open G tuning technique.

— René Ostberg, Encyclopedia Britannica, 8 July 2026
During his tour, a solar flare causes an electromagnetic disturbance that rips through the systems of civilization and into the data center.

— Dan Piepenbring, Harpers Magazine, 30 June 2026

Definition of rips

Verb

Johnson yanks veterans' benefits package An effort to advance a package of VA benefits bills this morning on the House floor went down in flames – the latest in Speaker Mike Johnson's struggle to get Republicans on the same page.

— Zachary Schermele, USA Today, 16 July 2026
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

Definition of yanks

Verb

The 22-year-old was long considered ill-suited for grass, given how the surface dulls the athletic foundation of her game and rushes her forehand.

— Ava Wallace, New York Times, 9 July 2026
In particular, consumers should avoid peak sunset and dinner rushes for nonperishable goods.

— Christopher S. Tang, The Conversation, 8 July 2026

Definition of rushes

Noun

The lightweight carbon steel body heats water quickly while remaining easier to lift than cast iron alternatives, and the durable porcelain enamel resists rust and scratches.

— Better Homes & Gardens, Better Homes & Gardens, 16 July 2026
Cars have destroyed one-third of the roughly 70 planters the city installed back in 2020 and marred the survivors with chips, scratches and dents.

— Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 15 July 2026

Definition of scratches

Verb

The company said its proprietary data asset grabs millions of live data points across tens of thousands of factories and suppliers.

— Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 17 July 2026
Objects d’art In the living room, a vintage motorcycle immediately grabs visitors’ attention.

— Annabelle Dufraigne, Architectural Digest, 14 July 2026

Definition of grabs

Verb

Once inside, the burglar sends in a robotic assistant that races through the rooms, checks drawers, copies keys, locks cabinets and writes a demand note asking for money to unlock the data.

— Ron Schmelzer, Forbes.com, 10 July 2026
As is common with Enola Holmes films, zippy flashbacks and kicky montages illuminate what led up to all of this, but there’s an energy missing here, as the film races to get back into the present Maltese moment, which feels dire indeed.

— Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 30 June 2026

Definition of races

Verb

For example, in tenant onboarding, using AI to automatically auto-fill and email a 50-page PDF lease just speeds up the generation of a static, cumbersome document that still requires manual follow-ups.

— Ali Hoss, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026
Frequent mowing keeps clippings small, preventing smothering and speeds up decomposition for reuse.

— Peg Aloi, The Spruce, 21 June 2026