tear down meaning and examples thumbnail

tear down meaning and examples

2025-10-03

Meaning

  • Tear down means to destroy, demolish, or dismantle something (usually a building, structure, or object).
  • It can also be used figuratively to mean criticizing someone strongly or discrediting their ideas.

Grammar and Usage

  • Part of speech: phrasal verb

  • Verb form: tear (present), tore (past), torn (past participle)

  • Typical structure:

    • tear down + object (transitive)
    • Example: They tore down the old school building.

Common Phrases

  • tear down a building – demolish a structure.
  • tear down barriers – remove obstacles (literal or figurative).
  • tear someone down – criticize or insult someone.

Collocations

  • tear down walls
  • tear down fences
  • tear down myths
  • tear down arguments
  • tear down statues

Examples

  1. They decided to tear down the abandoned factory.
  2. The protesters called on the city to tear down the controversial monument.
  3. She was tired of people trying to tear her down with criticism.
  4. The company will tear down the old office to build a new one.
  5. The teacher tried to tear down the students’ fear of failure.
  6. We must tear down the walls that divide communities.
  7. His speech was designed to tear down his opponent’s credibility.
  8. The government plans to tear down unsafe housing units.
  • demolish
  • knock down
  • dismantle
  • destroy
  • criticize
  • break down

Antonym

  • build up
  • construct
  • praise
  • support