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.
But the man himself, Arne Slot, hasn’t torn up the trusty playbook. Henry Flynn, Forbes, 28 Dec. 2024 Even though the Bengals' fate is out of their own hands, Chase and Burrow continue to tear up opposing secondaries in the eleventh hour of the season. Tom Rogers, Newsweek, 27 Dec. 2024 As Trump vows to tear up reams of federal regulations, but also continues to accuse Big Tech of stifling competition, industry leaders could have more riding on their relationship with the White House than ever before. Kevin Breuninger, CNBC, 24 Dec. 2024 Brown then took out a ring from his pocket as his girlfriend Danielle Bryant began to tear up and covered her mouth in shock. Gabrielle Rockson, People.com, 19 Dec. 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 8 Jan. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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