1
as in ripped
to cause (something) to separate into jagged pieces by violently pulling at it
angrily tore the letter to shreds
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in grabbed
to separate or remove by forceful pulling
tore the book from his hand
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in sped
to proceed or move quickly
she tore out of the room as soon as the phone started to ring
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of torn
My character is torn between responsibility and doubt, and as the case unfolds, his world begins to shift in unexpected ways.
—
Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 25 Apr. 2026
Cavaliers All-Stars Donovan Mitchell and James Harden have torn the Raptors apart in the first two games.
—Geoff Clark Outkick, FOXNews.com, 23 Apr. 2026
Video released by the NTSB shows the extent of the damage to the Air Canada jet, with its nose completely torn off.
—Jesse Zanger, CBS News, 23 Apr. 2026
Experts were on the ground about 15 minutes later to confirm the reports and found trees ripped from their root systems and a barn with its roof freshly torn off.
—Joseph Serna, Los Angeles Times, 22 Apr. 2026
In season 1, gangster kingpin Wilson Fisk (Vincent D'Onofrio) frames him for a series of bombings, and the two go toe to toe, with Murdock torn between how to bring Fisk to justice.
—David Faris, TheWeek, 20 Apr. 2026
Their garage roof was also partly torn off, and their trailer was tipped over.
—Forum News Service, Twin Cities, 18 Apr. 2026
The war has jolted markets and rattled the global economy as shipping has been cut off and airstrikes have torn through military and civilian infrastructure across the region.
—ABC News, 16 Apr. 2026
Melton’s Austin starts as a baby leftist crying over a dead bee, then becomes torn between the authentic Korean cultural education Chairwoman Park claims to offer him and the increasingly ambitious Ashley, who wants to leverage Austin’s heritage for her own personal gain.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 16 Apr. 2026
Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 25 Apr. 2026
Cavaliers All-Stars Donovan Mitchell and James Harden have torn the Raptors apart in the first two games.
—Geoff Clark Outkick, FOXNews.com, 23 Apr. 2026
Video released by the NTSB shows the extent of the damage to the Air Canada jet, with its nose completely torn off.
—Jesse Zanger, CBS News, 23 Apr. 2026
Experts were on the ground about 15 minutes later to confirm the reports and found trees ripped from their root systems and a barn with its roof freshly torn off.
—Joseph Serna, Los Angeles Times, 22 Apr. 2026
In season 1, gangster kingpin Wilson Fisk (Vincent D'Onofrio) frames him for a series of bombings, and the two go toe to toe, with Murdock torn between how to bring Fisk to justice.
—David Faris, TheWeek, 20 Apr. 2026
Their garage roof was also partly torn off, and their trailer was tipped over.
—Forum News Service, Twin Cities, 18 Apr. 2026
The war has jolted markets and rattled the global economy as shipping has been cut off and airstrikes have torn through military and civilian infrastructure across the region.
—ABC News, 16 Apr. 2026
Melton’s Austin starts as a baby leftist crying over a dead bee, then becomes torn between the authentic Korean cultural education Chairwoman Park claims to offer him and the increasingly ambitious Ashley, who wants to leverage Austin’s heritage for her own personal gain.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 16 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for torn
Verb
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The rooms Accommodations are ripped straight out of the safari playbook.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
23 Apr. 2026
-
Suns star Devin Booker, typically a measured player, ripped the referees after the loss, targeting official James Williams.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Stephens and her daughter had gone to bed when Knight grabbed knives from the kitchen, walked into their bedroom and attacked the woman as her daughter lay next to her.—
Landon Mion,
FOXNews.com,
23 Apr. 2026
-
The witness said a woman believed to be a store employee grabbed at a backpack carried by one of the men, prompting that man to throw a punch at her.—
Robert Salonga,
Mercury News,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Kimmel’s pretend roast The license probe reportedly was sped up after the Kimmel joke.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
28 Apr. 2026
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The city has released unedited footage showing the high-speed, life-or-death negotiation that played out when a robbery suspect sped off with an Antioch officer inside his getaway car, then attempted to negotiate out of trouble until being shot in the leg.—
Nate Gartrell,
Mercury News,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Spurs coach Mitch Johnson could’ve yanked him for the veteran Harrison Barnes.—
Christian Clark,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2026
-
Jackson’s music was also yanked from several radio stations in New Zealand, but eventually re-added.—
Amelia McDonell-Parry,
Rolling Stone,
22 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Their fans will have cast a nervous glance at the goal difference column after City raced into the lead at Turf Moor through Erling Haaland after five minutes.—
Mark Carey,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2026
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The Marlins raced out to a 3-0 lead in the top of the first thanks to Xavier Edwards’ RBI double and Liam Hicks’ two-run homer, an impressive drive that cut through a cold San Francisco night.—
Justice delos Santos,
Mercury News,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Then last June, the Nuggets snatched Wallace back from Minnesota, hiring him as their new co-general manager alongside his friend Ben Tenzer — another longtime Connelly disciple who’d been a steady hand behind the scenes in Denver’s front office since 2013.—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
25 Apr. 2026
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Chicago Cubs center fielder Rick Monday snatched an American flag from two men who intended to set it afire during the fourth inning in the outfield at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles.—
Kori Rumore,
Chicago Tribune,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Arizona’s rapid low-density residential development sprawl is driven by its rabid encouragement of ever more population growth.—
DP Opinion,
Denver Post,
25 Apr. 2026
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But the film is on track to do blockbuster business this weekend, driven by positive audience scores and fan nostalgia, as Parade magazine reported.—
Martha Ross,
Mercury News,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Hoopes turned a corner and the cop, lights flashing, pulled him over.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
22 Apr. 2026
-
Finally, this past New Year’s Eve, their full-length debut surfaced as an unfussy YouTube post—only to get pulled one week later as Bottner sought label distribution.—
Nina Corcoran,
Pitchfork,
22 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Torn.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/torn. Accessed 29 Apr. 2026.
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