tear apart

1. Upset or make distraught, as in The parents' divorce tore apart the grandparents . [Second half of 1800s]

2. Criticize severely, as in The professor tore her paper apart . [Mid-1900s]

3. Search some place completely, as in The police tore the house apart . [Second half of 1900s]

4. Separate, especially unwillingly, as in The war tore many families apart .

Example Sentences

The quasar’s radiation disrupts gas and dust inside the galaxy where it hits, tearing apart clouds of material.

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Putin’s offer also threatens to tear apart Ukraine’s society.

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Teams just cannot cope with their pace, passing and pressing - and they continue to tear apart any team in their way.

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Liam, in particular, attacked the gig with wild-eyed passion - stalking the stage and biting into the lyrics like a lion tearing apart its prey.

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If enacted, the legislation will further tear apart an already weak social safety net and strip health care from millions of Americans.

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Related Words

• admonish 
• berate 
• castigate 
• chastise 
• chide 
• denounce 
• discipline 
• rebuff 
• rebuke 
• reprimand 
• reproach 
• scold