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

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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 Department of Homeland Security contractors tore down the first of the three trees on July 27. Michael Loria, USA Today, 30 July 2026 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 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
  • After the match, Brock Lesnar Oba Femi destroyed Brock Lesnar in their first encounter, which made an already rising Oba Femi into an overnight sensation.
    Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 2 Aug. 2026
  • Weeks later in Georgia, the Highway 82 Fire destroyed more than 120 homes – the most lost to a single fire since state records began in the 1950s – while blazes across the Southeast pushed smoke into communities that rarely see it.
    Martin Goillandeau, CNN Money, 2 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • The iconic outdoor mall still has a few places open before it is demolished.
    Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 30 July 2026
  • Etna’s country prevails but is demolished in the process; its people and animals are left wrecked, hungry, and homeless.
    Rachel Vorona Cote, The Atlantic, 30 July 2026
Verb
  • Let’s talk about the outfits that get ruined or made irrelevant!
    Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 31 July 2026
  • The spring warrant cited charities, a hospital, other city officials and community members that Parris declined to identify for fear of their reputations being ruined.
    Pat Maio, Daily News, 31 July 2026
Verb
  • Frustrated, Rhodes pulled down Punk’s kneepad and continued to target the injured knee.
    Blake Oestriecher, Forbes.com, 2 Aug. 2026
  • That trend continued Friday, as Allen pulled down a one-handed snag from quarterback Patrick Mahomes during 11-on-11s that served as the day’s top highlight.
    Jesse Newell, New York Times, 31 July 2026
Verb
  • If Infantino’s credibility is shattered and nothing is done to bring a proper change in priorities, then the governance of the sport is unlikely to recover.
    Simon Hughes, New York Times, 1 Aug. 2026
  • The peaceful exile is shattered when Ravana’s sister, Surpanakha (played by Rakul Preet Singh), becomes infatuated with Rama, setting off a chain of events that leads to her humiliation.
    Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 30 July 2026
Verb
  • Mathias Jensen would provide an extra dose of creativity but Brentford will be hoping Antoni Milambo can make the position his own after his 2025-26 debut season was wrecked by an ACL injury in October.
    Luke Bosher, New York Times, 31 July 2026
  • Elsewhere, La’An continues her investigation via Harper’s personal video log, an effort that takes a disturbing turn when Harper addresses her directly while Kirk sees that their shuttle has been wrecked.
    Keith Phipps, Vulture, 30 July 2026
Verb
  • The massacre devastated Wilmington’s flourishing Black middle class and sent a message of impunity to white vigilantes nationwide.
    Namara Smith, New Yorker, 5 Aug. 2026
  • The Village, which survived the disaster even as much of the rest of the surrounding downtown commercial corridor was devastated, has undergone an extensive restoration.
    Gary Baum, HollywoodReporter, 5 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Security video of the early April 9 morning burglary shows three men entered the business through a broken window, smashed the machines with sledge hammers and pried out the boxes while a fourth man acted as lookout, the report said.
    Dennis Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 5 Aug. 2026
  • Harper, on his final night as a first baseman this season, smashed a two-run homer into the bushes beyond the center-field wall.
    Matt Gelb, New York Times, 4 Aug. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Tore down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tore%20down. Accessed 6 Aug. 2026.

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