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
Zack Sharf, Variety, 18 May 2026
Throughout the day, friends and classmates gathered, wiping away tears, comforting each other and trying to process the sudden loss.
—Shelley Bortz, CBS News, 18 May 2026
Star Sophie Thatcher was moved to tears.
—Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 18 May 2026
And yet, at that age, Jenkins recalls her sons screaming — tears gushing down their faces.
—Tereza Shkurtaj, PEOPLE, 17 May 2026
The tears came the next morning, with Collins’ family.
—Rebecca Tauber, New York Times, 16 May 2026
Their ability to command a room is still evident decades later, as the cast sits onstage listening, and much of the audience is in tears by the end of the number.
—Caitlin Huston, HollywoodReporter, 11 May 2026
And then, Steve burst into tears.
—Geoffrey Cain, Vanity Fair, 11 May 2026
As the memories come flooding back, so do the tears.
—Los Angeles Times, 10 May 2026
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
Inheritance often tears families apart and much of that conflict is rooted in poor communication.
—R. Eric Thomas, Mercury News, 24 Apr. 2026
Jeffries tears into DeSantis as 'charismatically challenged' over redistricting gambit.
—FOXNews.com, 24 Apr. 2026
The company regularly buys brand-new devices and tears them to pieces.
—Julian Lucas, New Yorker, 20 Apr. 2026
As the GIs raise their guns, a pudgy hand in the backseat tears a strip of white cloth from his companion’s petticoat for the chauffeur to hang out the window.
—Alice Kaplan, The New York Review of Books, 4 Apr. 2026
Noun
As the credits rolled and the audience broke out into applause, lead Thatcher burst into tears as Refn paced back and forth, hyping up the crowd for the 7-minute ovation.
—Zack Sharf, Variety, 18 May 2026
Throughout the day, friends and classmates gathered, wiping away tears, comforting each other and trying to process the sudden loss.
—Shelley Bortz, CBS News, 18 May 2026
Star Sophie Thatcher was moved to tears.
—Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 18 May 2026
And yet, at that age, Jenkins recalls her sons screaming — tears gushing down their faces.
—Tereza Shkurtaj, PEOPLE, 17 May 2026
The tears came the next morning, with Collins’ family.
—Rebecca Tauber, New York Times, 16 May 2026
Their ability to command a room is still evident decades later, as the cast sits onstage listening, and much of the audience is in tears by the end of the number.
—Caitlin Huston, HollywoodReporter, 11 May 2026
And then, Steve burst into tears.
—Geoffrey Cain, Vanity Fair, 11 May 2026
As the memories come flooding back, so do the tears.
—Los Angeles Times, 10 May 2026
Verb
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
Inheritance often tears families apart and much of that conflict is rooted in poor communication.
—R. Eric Thomas, Mercury News, 24 Apr. 2026
Jeffries tears into DeSantis as 'charismatically challenged' over redistricting gambit.
—FOXNews.com, 24 Apr. 2026
The company regularly buys brand-new devices and tears them to pieces.
—Julian Lucas, New Yorker, 20 Apr. 2026
As the GIs raise their guns, a pudgy hand in the backseat tears a strip of white cloth from his companion’s petticoat for the chauffeur to hang out the window.
—Alice Kaplan, The New York Review of Books, 4 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tears
Noun
-
These capri pants have a drawstring waist, side pockets, and subtle slits, and they’re designed to hit just below the knees on most people.—
Jamie Allison Sanders,
PEOPLE,
15 May 2026
-
The sleeveless gown included thigh-high slits at the sides and was crafted with ornate embroidery in jeweled tones of green and blue.—
Julia Teti,
Footwear News,
11 May 2026
Verb
-
That begins when a sudden explosion rips the side off the house.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
15 May 2026
-
On May 13, 2011 — 15 years ago to this day — the popular DC show concluded with a fist-pumping final scene where Clark rips open his shirt to display the iconic Superman logo while John Williams' unmistakable score rings like a battle cry.—
Sergio Pereira,
Space.com,
13 May 2026
Verb
-
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
-
Leaphorn yanks the jug his way (despite being cuffed) and is able to put the filter packet down his pants.—
Jordan Hoffman,
Entertainment Weekly,
6 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
With no way to stop it, Beth rushes to get the horses out in a trailer while Rip cuts the fences in an effort to give their cattle a fighting chance.—
Samantha Stutsman,
PEOPLE,
16 May 2026
-
It’s also borne of relentless aggression on the forecheck, which can lead to a fair amount of odd-man rushes toward Andersen’s net.—
Sean Gentille,
New York Times,
14 May 2026
Noun
-
Scientists say that scratches found on a 59,000-year-old tooth may be the earliest signs of a cavity filling in human history.—
Alexandra Banner,
CNN Money,
14 May 2026
-
Around the edges of the hole, Zubova and her colleagues noticed scratches, which, in addition to the hole’s unusual size and shape, made the archaeologists wonder if it had been drilled intentionally to relieve the pain of a tooth infection.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
13 May 2026
Verb
-
Next, Beth grabs her father's hat, perched on a stand next to the photograph.—
Bryan Alexander,
USA Today,
15 May 2026
-
So, pay attention to what grabs your attention now, because the cosmos could be delivering a message through the most random interaction, TikTok scroll or overheard conversation.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
15 May 2026
Verb
-
Almost all tickets are sold out for both the Preakness and the Black-Eyed Susan races, according to the event website.—
JT Moodee Lockman,
CBS News,
14 May 2026
-
For now, Singapore's supplies of bunker fuel have held up even as the price races up.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
12 May 2026
Verb
-
Constant heavy use also speeds up wear and heat buildup.—
Louise Parks,
Martha Stewart,
16 May 2026
-
While that driver slows down, the black car speeds up.—
Julia Avant,
CBS News,
14 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tears.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tears. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
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