1.
Upset or make distraught, as in The parents' divorce tore apart the grandparents. [Second half of 1800s]
2.
Criticize severely, as in The professor tore her paper apart. [Mid-1900s]
3.
Search some place completely, as in The police tore the house apart. [Second half of 1900s]
4.
Separate, especially unwillingly, as in The war tore many families apart.
tear apart
| Idioms: tear apart |
| WordNet: tear apart |
Note: click on a word meaning below to see its connections and related words.
The verb has one meaning:
Meaning #1:
express a totally negative opinion of
Synonyms: pan, trash
Learn More
 | tensile strength |
| Hook, Dr. (Quotes By) |
| apart (Idiom) |
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Copyrights:
 |
 | Idioms. The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. Read more |
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| WordNet. WordNet 1.7.1 Copyright © 2001 by Princeton University. All rights reserved. Read more |
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Mentioned in
- tensile strength
- Hook, Dr. (Quotes By)
- apart (Idiom)
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