tear apart
Idioms-
Upset or make distraught, as in The parents' divorce tore apart the grandparents . [Second half of 1800s]
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Criticize severely, as in The professor tore her paper apart . [Mid-1900s]
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Search some place completely, as in The police tore the house apart . [Second half of 1900s]
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Separate, especially unwillingly, as in The war tore many families apart .
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.
"Orcas often tear apart prey and share it with other members of the group, including calves and juveniles," said Ayres.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 23, 2026
"Orcas often tear apart prey and share it with other members of the group, including calves and juveniles."
From Barron's ● Jul. 23, 2026
Teams just cannot cope with their pace, passing and pressing - and they continue to tear apart any team in their way.
From BBC ● Jul. 9, 2025
He tried to tear apart this holographic figment of a page.
From Slate ● Sep. 30, 2023
It had teeth as long as his forearm and claws that could tear apart an oak tree.
From "Impossible Creatures" by Katherine Rundell
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
