TEARING Synonyms: 170 Similar and Opposite Words

tearing 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of tearing

as in cutting

Related Words

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tearing

2 of 2

verb

present participle of tear

as in ripping

to cause (something) to separate into jagged pieces by violently pulling at it angrily tore the letter to shreds

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in yanking

to separate or remove by forceful pulling tore the book from his hand

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

reattaching

as in hurrying

to proceed or move quickly she tore out of the room as soon as the phone started to ring

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.

Recent Examples of tearing

Adjective

By acting as a biomechanical bridge, soft enough for muscle, strong enough for rigid parts, the tendons eliminate the tearing and detachment problems that have plagued previous designs. — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 1 Dec. 2025

Verb

The family captured the moment a massive marine mammal slammed into the side of their boat, ripping a door from its hinges and tearing a hole in the hull. — Jennifer McLogan, CBS News, 13 Oct. 2026 CorneaCare’s Self Heating Warm Compresses deliver instant warmth plus hydrated minerals aimed at dryness, fatigue, tearing and puffiness. — Samantha Agate, Sacbee.com, 12 Oct. 2026 The storm began tearing through the region on Friday evening. — Erika Angulo, NBC news, 11 Oct. 2026 Sources close to the Duke of Sussex have urged the public not to judge him, but social media users are tearing him to shreds. — Allison Degrushe, StyleCaster, 9 Oct. 2026 Moirologists, as they’re now known, were usually women, and their job was to display grief by crying, wailing, and tearing their hair. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 9 Oct. 2026 That, however, shouldn’t take away from something quite impressive in that Bell, less than 11 months removed from tearing his ACL, looks to be rounding into form. — Miami Herald, 7 Oct. 2026 There was some occasional screen tearing when panning the camera, and the text above NPCs was sometimes hard to read. — Zackery Cuevas, PC Magazine, 7 Oct. 2026 The Seahawks pulled away as the second half wore on, scoring three unanswered touchdowns and tearing through the heart of the Chargers’ defense, sometimes scarcely touched. — Los Angeles Times, 5 Oct. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for tearing

Adjective

There are two types of TBIs, penetrating and non-penetrating.

— Connie Etermadi, USA Today, 26 Aug. 2026
One spring day in Paris many years ago, my wife, Diana, a most penetrating photographer, capable of seeing like no one else, decided, as an experiment, to walk across the city blindfolded.

— Hisham Matar, Harper's Magazine, 2 Aug. 2024

Definition of penetrating

Verb

However, Rays first baseman Yandy Díaz broke through, ripping a leadoff double into the left-center gap for the team’s first baserunner of the game.

— Ryan Canfield OutKick, FOXNews.com, 15 Oct. 2026
Assumed to be overseas in Dubai, UAE for the past few years, the 75-year old is accused of ripping California banks off to the tune of more than $29 million starting in 2017.

— Dominic Patten, Deadline, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of ripping

Adjective

Her version is louder and more biting, but never at the sacrifice of the track’s spirit.

— Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 3 Oct. 2026
In 2022, Lee County’s Mosquito Control District decided to try aiming radiation at mosquitoes instead, specifically the biting, disease-carrying kind — Aedes aegypti.

— Alex Harris, Miami Herald, 21 Sep. 2026

Definition of biting

Verb

Friday’s exhibition contest featured a 22-0 KU run in the first half, the Jayhawks responding to Pitt State grabbing an early 22-21 lead.

— Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 17 Oct. 2026
Keeping the shoes simple with a more eye-grabbing dress has been her outfit formula as of late.

— Karla Rodriguez, Footwear News, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of grabbing

Verb

The pitch clock has been unambiguously good, speeding up game times while increasing the action on the field.

— Ian Miller OutKick, FOXNews.com, 13 Oct. 2026
Bad actors are also speeding up their output, often creating counterfeit goods within days or weeks of a product’s launch.

— Kate Nishimura, Footwear News, 9 Oct. 2026

Definition of speeding

Adjective

Mungiu craftily plants the seed of this crisis in his opening shot, set in the aftermath of a stinging act of parental discipline.

— Justin Chang, New Yorker, 8 Oct. 2026
At an early New York screening, Douglas recalls Wall Street traders being stunned by the film’s stinging accuracy.

— Maddie Connors, Los Angeles Times, 5 Oct. 2026

Definition of stinging

Browse Nearby Words

tearful

tearing

tearing down

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Cite this Entry

Style

“Tearing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tearing. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of tearing

adjective

verb

Example Sentences

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