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 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 In October, the White House tore down its East Wing to make room for a $400 million ballroom. ABC News, 29 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tore down
Verb
  • The second inferno killed 12 people, destroyed 6,500 structures across the Palisades and Malibu and cost billions in damage and insurance claims.
    Brittny Mejia, Los Angeles Times, 24 June 2026
  • In Paradise, California, a community destroyed by wildfire adopted the ‘Wildfire Prepared Home Standard’ as its mandatory rebuilding benchmark.
    Nina Seega, Forbes.com, 23 June 2026
Verb
  • When the new plant opens, Fiveash will eventually be decommissioned and demolished, but not right away.
    Susannah Bryan, Sun Sentinel, 21 June 2026
  • The existing residence was demolished, though plans to build a new house never moved forward.
    Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 19 June 2026
Verb
  • Its front-facing design deters pickpockets, while the water-resistant fabric protects your phone from surprise downpours or sweaty adventure days—because no one wants their phone ruined halfway through a trip.
    Rosie Marder, Travel + Leisure, 24 June 2026
  • In practice, organic liquids like crude oil ruined everything.
    Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 18 June 2026
Verb
  • After trailing for the entire third quarter, the Knicks rallied in the fourth as OG Anunoby finished with 28 points, Jalen Brunson had 25 points and Mitchell Robinson pulled down 15 rebounds.
    Mark Prussin, CBS News, 18 June 2026
  • Some of these probes may already have been pulled down, considering the long timeline of Mars exploration.
    Mike Wall, Space.com, 4 June 2026
Verb
  • In March, prolonged high temperatures shattered dozens of records in Southern California.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 21 June 2026
  • Williams arrived to find the business' windows shattered, after the roof of nearby restaurant Jay's Backyard BBQ collapsed in the blaze.
    Sabrina Franza, CBS News, 19 June 2026
Verb
  • Just across the Mississippi River in Avondale, Louisiana, a tornado wrecked four homes, Jefferson Parish spokeswoman Rachel Strassel said.
    CBS News, CBS News, 19 June 2026
  • Jane Ragsdale’s best friend Christine Chenoweth, a pastoral counselor and former Presbyterian minister, says the South Fork of the Guadalupe is now lousy and wrecked and haunted.
    Karen Valby, Vanity Fair, 16 June 2026
Verb
  • In a phone interview with The Times, her sister, Vanessa Marseille, said the family was shocked and devastated over the incident.
    Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 20 June 2026
  • Wilson was devastated by losing debates about the design of Congress and the presidency, and in particular by the convention’s refusal to acknowledge the centrality of regular people to the government.
    Jesse Wegman, The Atlantic, 20 June 2026
Verb
  • Archer's wickets were smashed by an unplayable shooter under his bat.
    ABC News, ABC News, 21 June 2026
  • The suspect also allegedly attacked a car at a gas station, which was found with its windows smashed out and an axe inside, and he was seen pushing down shelves inside the station’s market, BBC News reported.
    Brie Stimson, FOXNews.com, 20 June 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Tore down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tore%20down. Accessed 26 Jun. 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