1
as in destroys
to bring to a complete end the physical soundness, existence, or usefulness of
vandals tore down the wooden fence blocking the entrance to the beach
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in demolishes
to destroy (as a building) completely by knocking down or breaking to pieces
the new owners apparently bought the house just to tear it down and build a lavish mansion in its place
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of tears down
The body of the plane tears down the middle.
—
Literary Hub, 10 Feb. 2026
Literary Hub, 10 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tears down
Verb
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In 2024, a team identified the molecular mechanisms behind the microbe that destroys bananas.—
Laura Baisas,
Popular Science,
19 Feb. 2026
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View gallery - 3 images Watch as a team of drones destroys their target in a demonstration of Fury.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
19 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The latest filing demolishes the timeworn claim that DOGE was infiltrated into Social Security in order to responsibly ferret out fraud and overspending.—
Business Columnist,
Los Angeles Times,
22 Jan. 2026
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If the city demolishes the building, the costs will be assessed to the property owner.—
Frederick Melo,
Twin Cities,
30 Sep. 2025
Verb
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There’s, in fact, a lot of narrative chaos in the movie’s last third, from a pyramid scheme that ruins Junyang’s professional ego to the fact that Lydia, once she’s given birth, is basically cut out of the picture.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
16 Feb. 2026
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When fans see an exciting big hit, thinking about how the players might not know their own family members in 30 years ruins the fun.—
Eleanor M. Perfetto,
STAT,
7 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Gravity pulls down particles, which then swirl back up with the smallest crosscurrent.—
Nashia Baker,
Martha Stewart,
19 Feb. 2026
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This is reached by a sliding door and has his and hers wardrobes, a TV mounted on the ceiling that pulls down for vertical viewing, and a queen-sized storage bed.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
5 Jan. 2026
Verb
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After a possible murder shatters shatters the lives of three women in a decades-long friendship, Imperfect Women kicks off into a high-octane thriller that is sure to keep us guessing until its final minute.—
Kathleen Newman-Bremang,
Refinery29,
4 Feb. 2026
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Imperfect Women, created for television by Annie Weisman and based on Araminta Hall’s novel of the same name, examines a crime that shatters the lives of a decades-long friendship of three women.—
Dessi Gomez,
Deadline,
3 Feb. 2026
Verb
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In a film like this, you’re ostensibly meant to root against the terror that the central characters wrecks on his victims.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
16 Jan. 2026
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This process wrecks kidney and heart tissue, causing the heart to enlarge and blood vessels to become stiffer, impeding circulation and setting the stage for clots.—
Jyoti Madhusoodanan,
Scientific American,
16 Dec. 2025
Verb
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Kyiv residents endure long daily blackouts as Russia devastates the power system, leaving tower block dwellers freezing in apartments with no heat or light.—
Derek Gatopoulos,
Los Angeles Times,
25 Jan. 2026
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Exacerbating the problem, unpredictable rainfall cycling between drought and floods further devastates the region.—
Nina Metz,
Chicago Tribune,
23 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Sammie smashes Remmick over the head with his guitar before the vampire can sink his claws into him.—
Jazz Tangcay,
Variety,
18 Feb. 2026
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The bike then smashes into a metal barricade before coming to rest against a parked car.—
Michael Dorgan,
FOXNews.com,
7 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tears down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tears%20down. Accessed 24 Feb. 2026.
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