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
The nails can get torn and damaged in various ways too.
—
Bruce Y. Lee, Forbes.com, 11 Sep. 2025
But here, Gulf states are torn politically.
—David Mednicoff, The Conversation, 9 Sep. 2025
Aseem, the son and supposed heir, is torn between his love for his wife and his duty to family.
—Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 9 Sep. 2025
The roof of the bus was torn off as it was carried by the train down the tracks.
—Michael Rios, CNN Money, 8 Sep. 2025
Caught in intense court proceedings and media scrutiny, their half-blind 11-year-old son (Milo Machado-Graner) is torn between his loyalty to his parents and the truth as a witness.
—Hannah Kerns, PEOPLE, 7 Sep. 2025
His assistant told me that Howard had torn them down.
—Rivka Galchen, New Yorker, 6 Sep. 2025
Unbeknownst to everyone, Jesse survived and has now returned home, leaving Emma torn between two great loves.
—Katie Mannion, People.com, 1 Sep. 2025
His portrayal of Don, a young man torn between loyalty and the yearning for truth, is raw, honest and is the emotional backbone.
—Clayton Davis, Variety, 30 Aug. 2025
Bruce Y. Lee, Forbes.com, 11 Sep. 2025
But here, Gulf states are torn politically.
—David Mednicoff, The Conversation, 9 Sep. 2025
Aseem, the son and supposed heir, is torn between his love for his wife and his duty to family.
—Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 9 Sep. 2025
The roof of the bus was torn off as it was carried by the train down the tracks.
—Michael Rios, CNN Money, 8 Sep. 2025
Caught in intense court proceedings and media scrutiny, their half-blind 11-year-old son (Milo Machado-Graner) is torn between his loyalty to his parents and the truth as a witness.
—Hannah Kerns, PEOPLE, 7 Sep. 2025
His assistant told me that Howard had torn them down.
—Rivka Galchen, New Yorker, 6 Sep. 2025
Unbeknownst to everyone, Jesse survived and has now returned home, leaving Emma torn between two great loves.
—Katie Mannion, People.com, 1 Sep. 2025
His portrayal of Don, a young man torn between loyalty and the yearning for truth, is raw, honest and is the emotional backbone.
—Clayton Davis, Variety, 30 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for torn
Verb
-
Eastern Washington’s first drive ended when defensive back Jaden Mickey ripped the ball out of a receiver’s hands for a fumble recovery.—
Jim Keyser,
Idaho Statesman,
6 Sep. 2025
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The zany battle reached a dramatic conclusion when Thing ripped Isaac’s mechanical heart from his chest, ending his life… again.—
Andy Swift,
TVLine,
6 Sep. 2025
Verb
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One partygoer grabbed a fragrance and practically bathed in the smokey orange accords of Rendez-Vous Ivory.—
Essence,
Essence,
12 Sep. 2025
-
Natalia’s story grabbed the attention of the public in 2019 when Indiana prosecutors leveled charges against the Barnetts for allegedly neglecting a dependent.—
Lynsey Eidell,
PEOPLE,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Prosecutors sped through four additional witnesses this afternoon.—
Peter Charalambous,
ABC News,
12 Sep. 2025
-
From stopwatches to wearables, tech has elevated individuals' experiences through a plethora of on-demand metrics that provide a more holistic view of progress, and the Covid-19 pandemic sped this growth considerably.—
Hamid Farooqui,
Forbes.com,
11 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Until George Springer yanked a 450-foot fly to the left-field bleachers, the lineup was ostensibly silent.—
Mitch Bannon,
New York Times,
10 Sep. 2025
-
The same words apply to the title character at the film‘s center, the inscrutable and seemingly unscrupulous Hedda Gabler (a magnetic Tessa Thompson), here yanked firmly from the late 20th century setting of Henrik Ibsen’s iconic play into the ’50s, and not missing a single trick along the way.—
Kate Erbland,
IndieWire,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Having only raced four times in her career, this Brad Cox trainee strutted her stuff on August 28 in an allowance race on opening day at this Franklin, Kentucky track.—
Danny Brewer,
Forbes.com,
7 Sep. 2025
-
The tone was set on the opening play from scrimmage when defensive back John Nestor picked off a pass and raced 29 yards down the Northwestern State sideline for a touchdown that put the Gophers on top 7-0.—
Frank Rajkowski,
Twin Cities,
6 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
People going out in the street and being snatched from their family members is not normal.—
Nicole Fallert,
USA Today,
10 Sep. 2025
-
However, Piotr Szczerek, identified as a Polish chief executive, was stood nearby and snatched the hat away before giving it to a woman, despite the boy’s visible protestations.—
George Ramsay,
CNN Money,
9 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The design uses eight reactions, all driven by enzymes that exist in nature, though not together in the same species.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
13 Sep. 2025
-
So, a lot of these sales are being driven by new as well as old fans of the anime.—
Ollie Barder,
Forbes.com,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
They were pulled from the Red Barn, a local landmark dating to the early 1900s in this small community southwest of the Keweenaw Peninsula.—
Eric D. Lawrence,
USA Today,
12 Sep. 2025
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Advertisement Advertisement Season 3 was the series’ most volatile yet, with every storyline pulled taut to the breaking point.—
JP Mangalindan,
Time,
12 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Torn.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/torn. Accessed 13 Sep. 2025.
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