tear it

1. Ruin something, spoil one's chances, as in She knew she'd torn it when she lost the address. It is often put as that tears it, as in He's a whole week late—well, that tears it for the September issue. [Colloquial; early 1900s]

Example Sentences

Another email like that and I might join the movement to tear it all down.

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The Crown Estate Commission gave her permission to tear it down and rebuild in the iconic red brick Georgian style that remains today.

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Milstein, a wealthy real estate heiress, and Bank, a reality TV producer with credits including “The Apprentice” and “Survivor,” bought the home for $8.35 million in 2023 with plans to tear it down.

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Don’t overthink it — tear it open and let it fall into the tomato, the creamy stracciatella spilling into every crevice.

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“The Rat Race” is a nod at Carrie’s discovery that her courtyard’s garden is infested with vermin, forcing her to tear it out and start over.

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