tear apart

English

Pronunciation
  • IPA(key): /ˈtɛɚ əˈpɑɹt/

Verb

tear apart (third-person singular simple present tears apart, present participle tearing apart, simple past tore apart, past participle torn apart)

  1. (transitive) Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see tear,‎ apart.
    She tore her ex-boyfriend’s clothes apart in fury.
  2. (transitive) to destroy
    The bomb tore apart most of the town hall.
    • 2003, The Room:
      Johnny: You are lying! I never hit you! You are tearing me apart, Lisa!
  3. (transitive) to cause to separate
  4. (transitive, figuratively) to severely defeat
    Synonym: take apart
    • 2011 February 1, Keir Murray, “Aberdeen 0 - 3 Celtic”, in BBC‎:
      But Celtic could smell blood and they tore the Reds apart in the 12th minute.
    • 2024 January 7, Gary Rose, “Manchester City 5-0 Huddersfield Town”, in BBC Sport‎:
      That never looked likely and, to the Terriers' credit, they fought hard and defended well at times against a City side capable of tearing apart almost any team at any level.
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