tore down

past tense of tear down
1
as in destroyed
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

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 tore down The French revolutionaries tore down almost all of society’s old structures—including the calendar, the churches, and the school system. David Brooks, The Atlantic, 8 July 2026 Piepenbrink encouraged people to visit the Crete Township Community Center on Cottage Grove Avenue and Monee Road to view photos from a 1952 fire that tore down the Balmoral Park grandstand during renovations. Olivia Stevens, Chicago Tribune, 21 June 2026 The president's team also repaired fountains throughout the city, tore down the White House's East Wing to make way for a ballroom, attempted to close the Kennedy Center for renovations, and drew up plans for a gigantic triumphal arch across the river from the capital in Virginia. Joe Walsh, CBS News, 19 June 2026 The properties sit across a cove from where Michael Jordan once tore down his own mansion (presumably to build a bigger one — as one does). Charlotte Observer, 17 June 2026 Protesters tore down and disabled enforcement cameras and painted the policy as a civil liberties issue. Justin Worland, Time, 3 June 2026 Clashes intensified this weekend as police with riot shields and officers on horseback pushed back demonstrators, some of whom tore down barricades, hurled objects and set tires ablaze outside the 1,000-bed facility. Los Angeles Times, 31 May 2026 About that view from the East Wing Nine months after Jill Biden moved out of the White House, construction crews tore down the East Wing. Susan Page, USA Today, 30 May 2026 Attendance diminished in recent years as the Wizards tore down their roster in the hopes of accumulating draft picks in trades and losing enough games to win early picks via the annual draft lottery. Josh Robbins, New York Times, 28 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tore down
Verb
  • One residence was damaged and a minor structure was destroyed, according to an incident update.
    Dakota Smith, Los Angeles Times, 12 July 2026
  • After powerful twin earthquakes devastated parts of Venezuela and destroyed their home in the coastal town of Caraballeda last month, Maria and her brother Damian, 13, were taken in by their aunt, Mercedes Osul.
    Osmary Hernández, CNN Money, 11 July 2026
Verb
  • The 163rd Street Theatre was demolished in 1996 and today a Home Depot stands on the land.
    Howard Cohen, Miami Herald, 9 July 2026
  • Structures on the site, at 1451 Sproule Avenue, were demolished in 2005.
    Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 8 July 2026
Verb
  • Michael seemed to be saying that by admitting her dishonesty, Ethel would have ruined their childhood and poisoned any prospect of a future relationship with her.
    Amy Weiss-Meyer, The Atlantic, 10 July 2026
  • Instead of fighting with Whitney, Lindsay has a talk with Yvonne about how Lindsay ruined Yvonne’s wedding by making it all about her.
    Brian Moylan, Vulture, 8 July 2026
Verb
  • South Korea’s Kospi dropped a breathtaking 10%, pulled down by double-digit losses for chip makers Samsung and SK Hynix.
    Andrew Nusca, Fortune, 24 June 2026
  • The next day, August 22, a crowd gathered in front of the headquarters of the KGB and pulled down a giant statue of its founder, Felix Dzerzhinsky.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 22 June 2026
Verb
  • In the summer of 2024, Svalbard shattered previous ice melt records, losing more than 60 gigatons of ice, around 1% of its total, as temperatures spiked 7 degrees Fahrenheit above average.
    Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 10 July 2026
  • The surge shattered a four-year-old record of 99,445 GWh set back in July 2022.
    Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 10 July 2026
Verb
  • The vessel eventually wrecked on a reef in the Florida Keys in 1827, drowning 41 people.
    Amara Evering, Miami Herald, 11 July 2026
  • Flash flooding in southeastern Missouri wrecked a campground and carried away about a dozen people, according to local authorities.
    Michael Loria, USA Today, 10 July 2026
Verb
  • In a separate GoFundMe page, Castillo’s family said they were devastated by his death.
    Ruben Vives, Los Angeles Times, 14 July 2026
  • The new flight comes as American Airlines twice daily direct flights between MIA and Caracas remain suspended following multiple earthquakes on June 24 that devastated Venezuela’s capital.
    Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 14 July 2026
Verb
  • This ice is thought to contain material from asteroids and comets that smashed into the moon billions of years ago.
    Chelsea Gohd, Space.com, 14 July 2026
  • The 'why' behind airline safety rules Local Greek media reported that a piece of the engine had broken off and that debris smashed the window, quickly decompressing the cabin, which led to part of Karović's body being sucked out of the window.
    Kathleen Wong, USA Today, 14 July 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Tore down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tore%20down. Accessed 17 Jul. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster