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
Relevance
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of torn down
Long-time residents may recall that there once were three single-family homes along Glen Flora Avenue and a cleaners before they were torn down for parking spaces.
—
Charles Selle, Chicago Tribune, 27 Apr. 2026
The club’s original home at Griffith Park was torn down to build an equestrian center for the 1984 Olympics.
—ABC News, 23 Apr. 2026
Before any development can go ahead, the existing mall must be torn down.
—Adam Harrington, CBS News, 23 Apr. 2026
The East Wing was torn down in October 2025 to make way for the construction.
—Joseph Konig, PEOPLE, 20 Apr. 2026
The coliseum site is just beginning to be reused after being torn down in ’07.
—Sean Krofssik, Hartford Courant, 19 Apr. 2026
The plan would be to keep the fish house operating, but with protections to keep it from being torn down or renovated into something unrecognizable.
—Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 16 Apr. 2026
The shuttered Chez Artiste movie theater in Denver’s University Hills neighborhood may be torn down.
—Thomas Gounley, Denver Post, 13 Apr. 2026
Right now, government is being torn down, rather than built up.
—Judith Shulevitz, The Atlantic, 9 Apr. 2026
Charles Selle, Chicago Tribune, 27 Apr. 2026
The club’s original home at Griffith Park was torn down to build an equestrian center for the 1984 Olympics.
—ABC News, 23 Apr. 2026
Before any development can go ahead, the existing mall must be torn down.
—Adam Harrington, CBS News, 23 Apr. 2026
The East Wing was torn down in October 2025 to make way for the construction.
—Joseph Konig, PEOPLE, 20 Apr. 2026
The coliseum site is just beginning to be reused after being torn down in ’07.
—Sean Krofssik, Hartford Courant, 19 Apr. 2026
The plan would be to keep the fish house operating, but with protections to keep it from being torn down or renovated into something unrecognizable.
—Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 16 Apr. 2026
The shuttered Chez Artiste movie theater in Denver’s University Hills neighborhood may be torn down.
—Thomas Gounley, Denver Post, 13 Apr. 2026
Right now, government is being torn down, rather than built up.
—Judith Shulevitz, The Atlantic, 9 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for torn down
Verb
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
Rinku then smashed four consecutive sixes off wrist spinner Digvesh Rathi.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
26 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
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
-
Girls getting wrecked on prom night?—
Amanda Whiting,
Vulture,
22 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
Cite this Entry
“Torn down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/torn%20down. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
