1
as in ripping
to cause (something) to separate into jagged pieces by violently pulling at it
angrily tore the letter to shreds
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in yanking
to separate or remove by forceful pulling
tore the book from his hand
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in hurrying
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
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 tearing
Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 1 Dec. 2025
Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 7 Nov. 2025
Kraft was on pace to have an even stronger year in 2025, having already logged 32 catches for 489 yards and six touchdowns in eight games before tearing his ACL.
—Matthew Schmidt, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Nov. 2025
In addition, writing with them required great concentration to avoid splattering ink or tearing the paper with the sharp metal nib.
—New Atlas, 29 Oct. 2025
After tearing through the Bahamas, Melissa will accelerate into the Atlantic Ocean, potentially impacting Bermuda by Thursday and Friday.
—Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA Today, 28 Oct. 2025
Uncrumpling a dollar bill, feeding it into a pull tab machine then tearing back the strips, one by one, to reveal a possible win.
—Hope Karnopp, jsonline.com, 28 Oct. 2025
Mamdani, who also has a bright political future, is tearing the Democrat Party apart, splitting leftist radicals from moderate or even liberal Democrats.
—Peter Lucas, Boston Herald, 27 Oct. 2025
Ronnie watches helplessly from the projection booth as the baby flies around the theater, brutally tearing the others apart.
—Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 27 Oct. 2025
Fred VanVleet, who started at point guard for Houston last season, will miss the entire year after tearing his ACL.
—Andrew Greif, NBC news, 22 Oct. 2025
Adjective
By acting as a biomechanical bridge, soft enough for muscle, strong enough for rigid parts, the tendons eliminate the tearing and detachment problems that have plagued previous designs.
—Verb
Suddenly, there’s dozens of supervillains tearing the place (and each other) apart.
—Recent Examples of Synonyms for tearing
Verb
-
The mayor called on ICE agents to leave the city, asserting that federal immigration authorities were ripping families apart and sowing chaos on Minneapolis streets.—
-
When Miller tried to grab the mother’s gun, Adams tried to pull him away from it, ripping Miller’s shirt.—
Verb
-
Therefore Primate and its promising central character turns more into a typical slasher flick, repeatedly knocking off the swimsuit-wearing teens one by one, his specialty being yanking out jaws and other bloody grossouts.—
-
Keep the movement coming from your ribs, rotating, not by yanking your neck.—
Verb
-
But one weekend in November, people who would typically be hurrying by, staring down at their phones, stopped.—
-
Butler began hurrying Boise State and pushing up the tempo, which allowed the Broncos to score off several backdoor cuts and slip screens for big dunks and layups at the rim.—
Adjective
-
One spring day in Paris many years ago, my wife, Diana, a most penetrating photographer, capable of seeing like no one else, decided, as an experiment, to walk across the city blindfolded.—
-
Since the war began in Gaza, more than six months ago, the Israeli magazine +972 has published some of the most penetrating reporting on the Israel Defense Forces’ conduct.—
Verb
-
Take after the actress by grabbing them in black, or choose from six additional colors, including burgundy and deep brown.—
-
Healthy cooking often boils down to accessibility and convenience; busy lives can leave people grabbing less nutritious alternatives.—
Verb
-
The manufacturers and developers at the hearing told legislators that creating incentives, simplifying building codes and speeding up project reviews would help the industry grow.—
-
Dash camera video captured the teen speeding away from the traffic stop and narrowly missing a deputy standing in the road.—
Adjective
-
Morbidly Jewish finds Raanan at his most biting, acerbic, angry, Jewish, and, as always…loud.—
-
The conservative activist’s 42-minute video posted the day after Christmas quickly spread, prompting stepped up immigration enforcement, frozen federal funds and more biting rhetoric against the Somali community from President Donald Trump.—
Verb
-
The rushing defense is one of the worst in the league.—
-
Most of the time, our road crews have us up and running by the next day, so rushing for a winter storm seems sort of silly.—
Cite this Entry
“Tearing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tearing. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share