Synonyms

tear down

British

/ tɛə /

verb

(tr, adverb) to destroy or demolish

to tear a wall down
to tear down an argument

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

tear down Idioms

Demolish, take apart, as in They tore down the old tenements , or He loved to tear down old engines . [Early 1600s]
Vilify or discredit, as in He's always tearing down someone or other . [First half of 1900s]

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.

Pacha, which will operate the club complex, has said it would tear down the recently built Mirage and be ready to go with a new one by June.

From The Wall Street Journal

The Dolphins have missed the playoffs in back-to-back years and are now prepared to tear down a large chunk of their roster this offseason.

From The Wall Street Journal

He was 16 when the Hungarian Revolution erupted in October 1956, and he joined a crowd in Stalin Square laboring to tear down a colossal statue of the Soviet leader.

From The Wall Street Journal

"We have to make progress one way or the other to tear down the barriers that prevent us from being a true global giant," she said, calling the current system "fragmentation on steroids."

From Barron's

Individuals are becoming more capable and productive and companies are tearing down historical workflows from marketing to compliance, reducing turnaround times.

From The Wall Street Journal

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023