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
as in demolished
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
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Recent Examples of tore down
Sadar, the property owner, said demolition crews tore down the front part of buildings in his street.
—
ABC News, 18 Apr. 2026
This is a sharp contrast to the four buildings LACMA tore down, including its original Ahmanson Building, from 1968, and the Art of the Americas Building, opened in 1986.
—Maximilíano Durón, ARTnews.com, 17 Apr. 2026
On Monday, cranes and demolition excavators tore down the exhibition hall closest to the Omni Hotel, dismembering parts of the building that will eventually unlock 20 to 30 acres for redevelopment and a new events facility.
—Devyani Chhetri, Dallas Morning News, 30 Mar. 2026
Footage showed dozens of people being arrested as agitators shouted insults at state patrol officers, tore down yellow police tape and hurled lewd objects at law enforcement.
—Alexandra Koch, FOXNews.com, 8 Feb. 2026
The mother and son tore down the existing structure and built the Tavern in its place.
—Matthew Geiger, Denver Post, 7 Feb. 2026
But several months later, construction crews tore down the East Wing and colonnade, as well as the Jacqueline Kennedy Garden.
—Ted Johnson, Deadline, 2 Feb. 2026
The group of artists, which was led by then-couple Michael Townsend and Adriana Valdez-Young, came up with the plan after real estate developers tore down their artists' commune about a mile away from what would become the mall.
—Caroline Blair, PEOPLE, 27 Jan. 2026
During the demonstrations for racial justice in 2020, protestors across the country defaced and tore down statues of Washington, arguing that enslavers should be reviled, not honored.
—John Garrison Marks, Time, 23 Jan. 2026
ABC News, 18 Apr. 2026
This is a sharp contrast to the four buildings LACMA tore down, including its original Ahmanson Building, from 1968, and the Art of the Americas Building, opened in 1986.
—Maximilíano Durón, ARTnews.com, 17 Apr. 2026
On Monday, cranes and demolition excavators tore down the exhibition hall closest to the Omni Hotel, dismembering parts of the building that will eventually unlock 20 to 30 acres for redevelopment and a new events facility.
—Devyani Chhetri, Dallas Morning News, 30 Mar. 2026
Footage showed dozens of people being arrested as agitators shouted insults at state patrol officers, tore down yellow police tape and hurled lewd objects at law enforcement.
—Alexandra Koch, FOXNews.com, 8 Feb. 2026
The mother and son tore down the existing structure and built the Tavern in its place.
—Matthew Geiger, Denver Post, 7 Feb. 2026
But several months later, construction crews tore down the East Wing and colonnade, as well as the Jacqueline Kennedy Garden.
—Ted Johnson, Deadline, 2 Feb. 2026
The group of artists, which was led by then-couple Michael Townsend and Adriana Valdez-Young, came up with the plan after real estate developers tore down their artists' commune about a mile away from what would become the mall.
—Caroline Blair, PEOPLE, 27 Jan. 2026
During the demonstrations for racial justice in 2020, protestors across the country defaced and tore down statues of Washington, arguing that enslavers should be reviled, not honored.
—John Garrison Marks, Time, 23 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tore down
Verb
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The assault killed at least seventeen people, including a twelve-year-old boy, wounded dozens, and destroyed buildings.—
Sudarsan Raghavan,
New Yorker,
28 Apr. 2026
-
The 24 staff members in Ruiz Verduzco’s office are tasked with assisting victims and their families, establishing programs in communities destroyed by violence and drumming up financial support.—
Molly Quell,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
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It has been recommended that the Denver Pavilions be demolished.—
DP Opinion,
Denver Post,
2 May 2026
-
It was finally demolished in 2024.—
Rafael Olmeda,
Sun Sentinel,
2 May 2026
Verb
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In other words, atrocious starts have ruined the Sox’s season before anyone had a chance to get excited.—
Paul Sullivan,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Apr. 2026
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Was so excited to make these and they were ruined by your poor recipe like many others!—
Christopher Kostow,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Power lines were snapped and pulled down in Missouri, wind gusts in Wisconsin exceeded 70 mph, and heavy rain and intense lightning knocked down trees in Tennessee.—
Kathryn Prociv,
NBC news,
28 Apr. 2026
-
At halftime, the Celtics had pulled down nine offensive rebounds and scored 13 second-chance points.—
Zack Cox,
Boston Herald,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The public rarely hears about defense features until an incident happens, such as when bullets shattered glass in 2011 or a radar anomaly put authorities on alert in 2019, exposing a missile battery.—
Neil Flanagan,
The Atlantic,
2 May 2026
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With Philadelphia applying pressure, Winn shattered Trea Turner’s bat to induce a 5-4-3 double play, recording the first two outs of the inning.—
Justice delos Santos,
Mercury News,
1 May 2026
Verb
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Elliott, who started 14th, had already taken the white flag when John Hunter Nemechek wrecked in the back of the field after contact with Kyle Busch.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
3 May 2026
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Two cars were wrecked and two people suffered injuries in a crash on busy Irving Park Road in the neighborhood of the same name early Monday morning.—
Kris Habermehl,
CBS News,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
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In his own statement, Steinfeld said Celeste’s parents, brother, and sister were left devastated by the flood of grisly details revealed by prosecutors in a court filing Wednesday.—
Nancy Dillon,
Rolling Stone,
1 May 2026
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According to Jackie, Horner’s actions have devastated their family.—
Harriet Ramos,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
1 May 2026
Verb
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Fresh off her time on the dance competition show, the mother of three made her Broadway debut as Roxie Hart in Chicago, which smashed the musical's box office record with the highest weekly ticket sales in the show's 29-year history.—
Jordana Comiter,
PEOPLE,
4 May 2026
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During the June 2025 anti-ICE protests in downtown Los Angeles, demonstrators smashed, spray-painted, and torched at least six Waymo robotaxis.—
Catherina Gioino,
Fortune,
4 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tore down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tore%20down. Accessed 6 May. 2026.
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