tear apart

English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈtɛɚ əˈpɑɹt/

Verb

tear apart (third-person singular simple present tears apart, present participle tearing apart, simple past tore apart, past participle torn apart)

1. (transitive) Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see tear,‎ apart.

   She tore her ex-boyfriend’s clothes apart in fury.

2. (transitive) to destroy

   The bomb tore apart most of the town hall.

   • 2003, The Room:

     Johnny: You are lying! I never hit you! You are tearing me apart, Lisa!

3. (transitive) to cause to separate
   • 1979, Joy Division (lyrics and music), “Love Will Tear Us Apart”:

     Love, love will tear us apart again

4. (transitive, figuratively) to severely defeat

   Synonym: take apart

   • 2011 February 1, Keir Murray, “Aberdeen 0 - 3 Celtic”, in BBC‎^[1]:

     But Celtic could smell blood and they tore the Reds apart in the 12th minute.

   • 2024 January 7, Gary Rose, “Manchester City 5-0 Huddersfield Town”, in BBC Sport‎^[2]:

     That never looked likely and, to the Terriers' credit, they fought hard and defended well at times against a City side capable of tearing apart almost any team at any level.