tear up

verb

tore up; torn up; tearing up; tears up

transitive verb

1
: to damage, remove, or effect an opening in
tore up the street to lay a new water main
2
: to perform or compete with great success on, in, or against
couples tearing up the dance floor
a batter who's tearing up the league

Examples of tear up in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Stick to the Calabrian side and risk tearing up their ship on a rocky shoal. Matt Robison, Newsweek, 20 Nov. 2024 This would tear up Santa Clara Street for years, devastating businesses and pushing away residents and investors. Dan Phan, The Mercury News, 12 Nov. 2024 The person, who was Black, appeared to be tearing up ballots marked for Trump, and leaving alone ballots marked for Vice President Kamala Harris. Melissa Goldin, Los Angeles Times, 26 Oct. 2024 His willingness to openly share his compassion and insight was quite incredible; the talk ended with an emotional final question from an audience member that left both Sutton and Chopra tearing up. Sandra Rose Salathe, Flow Space, 25 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for tear up 

Word History

First Known Use

1620, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of tear up was in 1620

Dictionary Entries Near tear up

Cite this Entry

“Tear up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tear%20up. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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