torn down

past participle 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 torn down That set off a frenzy among people in those neighborhoods and community organizers who don’t want houses torn down. Charlotte Observer, 20 Sep. 2026 When the new tower opens, Vicari said the old tower just to its west will be torn down. Carole Carlson, Chicago Tribune, 18 Sep. 2026 Langkilde said the radar is detecting the lowest portions of the walls and foundations, which were made with large boulders that were often left in place when medieval buildings were torn down. Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 7 Sep. 2026 Original barn torn down The original barn was torn down and replaced with a rustic white structure with high ceilings, natural wood beams and enough space to accommodate around 200 guests. Jenna Ebbers, Kansas City Star, 4 Sep. 2026 Many other theaters disappeared altogether, torn down in the name of urban renewal. Christopher Bonanos, Curbed, 3 Sep. 2026 The show ran until 2008, and the building was mostly torn down in 2009. Julie Tremaine, PEOPLE, 3 Sep. 2026 Trump will depart sooner or later, the banners will be torn down and much of his petty talk will be and should be forgotten. Letters To The Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 28 Aug. 2026 In 2026, multiple Flock cameras in California were vandalized, torn down or destroyed by civilians leading to arrests in Sacramento County, Monterey County, Placer County and Alameda County. Sacbee.com, 28 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for torn down
Verb
  • The Russian Defense Ministry on Friday said its air defenses intercepted and destroyed 629 Ukrainian drones overnight over 14 Russian regions, as well as illegally annexed Crimea and the Azov and the Black seas.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 19 Sep. 2026
  • In the course of three weeks, Israeli soldiers destroyed much of the area, razing schools and mosques and commandeering buildings for use as military posts.
    Ruth Margalit, New Yorker, 19 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • The administration demolished the East Wing of the White House and is replacing it with a massive ballroom.
    ABC News, ABC News, 16 Sep. 2026
  • He’s demolished the East Wing of the White House and is replacing it with a ballroom and plans to build a triumphal arch near Arlington National Cemetery.
    Steven Sloan, Chicago Tribune, 15 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • In a defense memo, Pattis characterizes Diamantis as a broken and financially ruined former politician and lawyer who at 70 might not survive a long prison sentence.
    Edmund H. Mahony, Hartford Courant, 14 Sep. 2026
  • What could have easily ruined their experience instead became an unforgettable highlight of the trip.
    Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 11 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • The juvenile victim later alleged during a forensic interview that Tucker had pulled down his own pants at one point and sat on the victim with his bare buttocks touching the younger boy’s skin.
    Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 18 Sep. 2026
  • While the victim was being held down, the 17-year-old boy allegedly pulled down his own pants and underwear and sat on the victim's chest.
    Steven Rosenbaum, CBS News, 17 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Vandals smashed out the windows of the Haymarket Pub & Brewery in Chicago's West Loop early Monday.
    Adam Harrington, CBS News, 21 Sep. 2026
  • The image of babies smashed to bits is likely to arouse protests like Abraham’s.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 18 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • This may then seem like yet another story about how Trump has wrecked norms and corrupted the rule of law.
    James Surowiecki, The Atlantic, 4 Sep. 2026
  • The violent swings that powered his game, launching golf balls far beyond his competitors, also wrecked his back and knees.
    Kyle Feldscher, CNN Money, 1 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • In the mountains on the North Carolina-Tennessee border, rains of up to 30 inches (76 centimeters) turned usually gentle streams into torrents that moved trees, boulders, homes and vehicles, and shattered century-old flood records.
    ABC News, ABC News, 16 Sep. 2026
  • An officer allegedly saw fresh footprints in the snow leading to the back door and a glass pane that had been shattered.
    Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 16 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • The suicide attack on Friday brought down an outer wall of the police offices and badly damaged the mosque.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 20 Sep. 2026
  • Aid groups warn more than three-quarters of Gaza’s housing stock is damaged, thousands of buildings are at risk of collapse, and residents grow especially vulnerable when winter rains seep into weakened structures.
    Wafaa Shurafa, Los Angeles Times, 20 Sep. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Torn down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/torn%20down. Accessed 23 Sep. 2026.

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