1
as in destroyed
to bring to a complete end the physical soundness, existence, or usefulness of
vandals tore down the wooden fence blocking the entrance to the beach
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in demolished
to destroy (as a building) completely by knocking down or breaking to pieces
the new owners apparently bought the house just to tear it down and build a lavish mansion in its place
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of tore down
Sadar, the property owner, said demolition crews tore down the front part of buildings in his street.
—
ABC News, 18 Apr. 2026
This is a sharp contrast to the four buildings LACMA tore down, including its original Ahmanson Building, from 1968, and the Art of the Americas Building, opened in 1986.
—Maximilíano Durón, ARTnews.com, 17 Apr. 2026
On Monday, cranes and demolition excavators tore down the exhibition hall closest to the Omni Hotel, dismembering parts of the building that will eventually unlock 20 to 30 acres for redevelopment and a new events facility.
—Devyani Chhetri, Dallas Morning News, 30 Mar. 2026
Footage showed dozens of people being arrested as agitators shouted insults at state patrol officers, tore down yellow police tape and hurled lewd objects at law enforcement.
—Alexandra Koch, FOXNews.com, 8 Feb. 2026
The mother and son tore down the existing structure and built the Tavern in its place.
—Matthew Geiger, Denver Post, 7 Feb. 2026
But several months later, construction crews tore down the East Wing and colonnade, as well as the Jacqueline Kennedy Garden.
—Ted Johnson, Deadline, 2 Feb. 2026
The group of artists, which was led by then-couple Michael Townsend and Adriana Valdez-Young, came up with the plan after real estate developers tore down their artists' commune about a mile away from what would become the mall.
—Caroline Blair, PEOPLE, 27 Jan. 2026
During the demonstrations for racial justice in 2020, protestors across the country defaced and tore down statues of Washington, arguing that enslavers should be reviled, not honored.
—John Garrison Marks, Time, 23 Jan. 2026
ABC News, 18 Apr. 2026
This is a sharp contrast to the four buildings LACMA tore down, including its original Ahmanson Building, from 1968, and the Art of the Americas Building, opened in 1986.
—Maximilíano Durón, ARTnews.com, 17 Apr. 2026
On Monday, cranes and demolition excavators tore down the exhibition hall closest to the Omni Hotel, dismembering parts of the building that will eventually unlock 20 to 30 acres for redevelopment and a new events facility.
—Devyani Chhetri, Dallas Morning News, 30 Mar. 2026
Footage showed dozens of people being arrested as agitators shouted insults at state patrol officers, tore down yellow police tape and hurled lewd objects at law enforcement.
—Alexandra Koch, FOXNews.com, 8 Feb. 2026
The mother and son tore down the existing structure and built the Tavern in its place.
—Matthew Geiger, Denver Post, 7 Feb. 2026
But several months later, construction crews tore down the East Wing and colonnade, as well as the Jacqueline Kennedy Garden.
—Ted Johnson, Deadline, 2 Feb. 2026
The group of artists, which was led by then-couple Michael Townsend and Adriana Valdez-Young, came up with the plan after real estate developers tore down their artists' commune about a mile away from what would become the mall.
—Caroline Blair, PEOPLE, 27 Jan. 2026
During the demonstrations for racial justice in 2020, protestors across the country defaced and tore down statues of Washington, arguing that enslavers should be reviled, not honored.
—John Garrison Marks, Time, 23 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tore down
Verb
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The assault killed at least seventeen people, including a twelve-year-old boy, wounded dozens, and destroyed buildings.—
Sudarsan Raghavan,
New Yorker,
28 Apr. 2026
-
The 24 staff members in Ruiz Verduzco’s office are tasked with assisting victims and their families, establishing programs in communities destroyed by violence and drumming up financial support.—
Molly Quell,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Manchester City await, a team Chelsea have not beaten for five years and who demolished them 3-0 at Stamford Bridge in the league just two weeks ago.—
Simon Johnson,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
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At the facility, officials found several bodies in hazardous conditions inside the building that was later condemned and demolished by federal environmental regulators as a toxic waste site.—
Eduardo Cuevas,
USA Today,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
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In other words, atrocious starts have ruined the Sox’s season before anyone had a chance to get excited.—
Paul Sullivan,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Apr. 2026
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Was so excited to make these and they were ruined by your poor recipe like many others!—
Christopher Kostow,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The handcuffs were removed, and one of the men pulled down my sleeves to cover the cuts and bruises on my arms.—
Shelly Kittleson,
The Atlantic,
23 Apr. 2026
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Just over an hour later, authorities say Robsinon pulled down the pants and underwear of a female victim inside a market near Mason Avenue and Sherman Away, recorded her on his cellphone then fled.—
Joseph Serna,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
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She was spurred in part by the election of Kurt Waldheim as president of Austria in 1986; revelations of his Nazi past shattered the myth that the country had been an innocent victim of Hitler.—
Ben Davis,
The New York Review of Books,
25 Apr. 2026
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Bullets shattered a glass refrigerator door behind Marquise, who fell to the ground right next to the store’s counter.—
Rebecca White,
New York Daily News,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Two cars were wrecked and two people suffered injuries in a crash on busy Irving Park Road in the neighborhood of the same name early Monday morning.—
Kris Habermehl,
CBS News,
27 Apr. 2026
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Girls getting wrecked on prom night?—
Amanda Whiting,
Vulture,
22 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Two young Alabama siblings are dead following an early morning crash, leaving their mother devastated at the sudden loss.—
Angel Saunders,
PEOPLE,
24 Apr. 2026
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Celeste’s family was overwhelmed and devastated to hear details of the allegations against d4vd during his arraignment on Monday, their attorney, Patrick Steinfeld, told CNN.—
Andi Babineau,
CNN Money,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
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One assistant said Rudin threw a phone at him, and another said Rudin smashed a computer monitor on his head, among other allegations.—
Jason P. Frank,
Vulture,
27 Apr. 2026
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Rinku then smashed four consecutive sixes off wrist spinner Digvesh Rathi.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
26 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tore down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tore%20down. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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