tear apart
The phrase "tear apart" can describe physical destruction, emotional distress, or severe criticism.
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Definition
B2General
(common)To violently separate something into pieces.
Example
- The tornado tore the house apart.
B2Emotional
(common)To cause someone to feel extremely unhappy or distraught.
Example
- It tears me apart to see you so sad.
B2Criticism
(common)To criticize someone or something harshly and thoroughly.
Example
- The critics tore the movie apart.
B2Conflict
(common)To cause people to fight or separate intensely.
Example
- The scandal tore the community apart.
Similar
Terms that have similar or relatively close meanings to "tear apart":
tear uptear attear awayrip intotear it uptear offrip to shredspick apartrip upbreak apartcome aparttake apartrip outblow aparttear downtore uptear alongpull apartfall apartto piecescut to piecessplit upgo to piecesbreak downcut upin tattersbreak upcarve uplet ripfall to piecesto bitspeel awaylimb from limb