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Synonyms

tear down

British  
/ tɛə /

verb

  1. (tr, adverb) to destroy or demolish

    to tear a wall down

    to tear down an argument

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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

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


Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

They might even be willing to tear down the entire 2027 season to get it.

From The Wall Street Journal Aug. 2, 2026

There are plans in Berlin to tear down one of the last remnants of Adolf Hitler's power centre.

From BBC Jun. 30, 2026

We saw the bulldozers tear down the East Wing of the White House, the many renderings of what the new structure is going to look like.

From Slate May 7, 2026

Design fans were upset by the couple’s decision to tear down the original structure, known as the Zimmerman House, which dated to the 1950s and was considered a design gem.

From MarketWatch Apr. 6, 2026

I walked into the ladies’ room at my office, and this is what I saw on the mirror: We will tear down every wall.

From "Americanized" by Sara Saedi

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