tear down

/ tɛə /

verb

1. (tr, adverb) to destroy or demolish

   to tear a wall down

   to tear down an argument

Idioms and Phrases

Demolish, take apart, as in They tore down the old tenements , or He loved to tear down old engines . [Early 1600s]

Vilify or discredit, as in He's always tearing down someone or other . [First half of 1900s]

Example Sentences

Most of the serious energy has been targeted toward tearing down homeless encampments, which are populated by the most powerless people in society, often destroying what meager possessions they have.

From Salon

On top of that is the physical toll the work can extract, especially on the folks involved in setting up and tearing down sets.

From Los Angeles Times

A year after the murders, the school decided to tear down the off-campus house where the four students were killed, calling it a "grim reminder".

From BBC

It's an age-old dilemma: to tear down in the name of modernity, or to preserve in the name of tradition.

From BBC

“I just redid this bathroom because my brother, when they were tearing down the pink house, he got the sinks,” she says.

From Los Angeles Times