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
Relevance
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of tears down
Even in moments of disagreement, we are called to speak with charity and to seek dialogue that builds up, rather than tears down.
—
Jennifer McRae, CBS News, 13 Apr. 2026
The body of the plane tears down the middle.
—Literary Hub, 10 Feb. 2026
Jennifer McRae, CBS News, 13 Apr. 2026
The body of the plane tears down the middle.
—Literary Hub, 10 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tears down
Verb
-
After hundreds to thousands of years, the feeding black hole or neutron star falls into the stellar core and destroys it, creating a luminous emission.—
Robert Lea,
Space.com,
8 May 2026
-
Federal debt destroys wealth and impedes economic growth.—
Rose Evans
May 6,
Idaho Statesman,
6 May 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
-
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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The property’s main restaurant, Night Hawk, is Mediterranean, with cooking by open fire, a Greek ruins vibe and seating for about 150.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
13 May 2026
-
Having to fight and co-exist with those hell-bent on spewing lies and attention-grabbing hyperbole only clouds up the room, ruins the mood and takes away minutes from those who have been tackling real problems that truly need their government’s help.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
11 May 2026
Verb
-
Rookie Bill Russell scores 19 points and pulls down a game-high 32 rebounds.—
Assistant Sports Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
13 Apr. 2026
-
Gravity pulls down particles, which then swirl back up with the smallest crosscurrent.—
Nashia Baker,
Martha Stewart,
19 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The other, from the southwest Khuzestan province, has a filling of dates, walnuts and coconut and pastry that shatters like a shell.—
Bill Addison,
Los Angeles Times,
9 May 2026
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But the illusion shatters when a stranger on the street recognizes the dog… as HER boyfriend Danny’s dog.—
William Earl,
Variety,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The change launches biannual arguments about the practice, wrecks havoc on sleep and has inspired voters to go to California polls.—
Hannah Poukish,
Sacbee.com,
7 Mar. 2026
-
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
Verb
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Florida’s citrus industry has been in a steady decline the past 25 years because of Huanglongbing (also known as HLB and citrus greening disease), a bacterial disease that devastates citrus trees.—
Jim Turner,
Sun Sentinel,
9 Apr. 2026
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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
Verb
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Alas, Shao Khan smashes Cole’s head with a hammer, Gallagher style, and shoves his body into a vat of acid.—
James Grebey,
Vulture,
12 May 2026
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Maybe a sleek ship is being chased by enemy fighters through a dense asteroid field, and one of them smashes into a massive space rock and is explosively atomized.—
Alan Bradley,
Space.com,
8 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tears down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tears%20down. Accessed 14 May. 2026.
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