TORE Synonyms: 151 Similar and Opposite Words

tore

verb

Definition of tore

past tense of tear

as in ripped

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

as in yanked

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

reattached

as in raced

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 tore The Vikings similarly struggled in 2023 after Kirk Cousins tore his Achilles tendon. — CBS News, 16 Oct. 2026 The collapse comes just weeks after a fire tore through a hospital in the capital Islamabad, killing at least 14 newborns and sparking widespread anger and multiple arrests. — Sophia Saifi, CNN Money, 15 Oct. 2026 In a game in which Kansas City needed a win to keep its playoff hopes alive, Patrick Mahomes tore his ACL and LCL, with Los Angeles eventually winning 16-13. — Kansas City Star, 15 Oct. 2026 Producers Arya Ibrahim and Gita Fara describe the project as a story of the political upheaval of 1965, which tore families apart and left people who lost their citizenship living as exiles. — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 12 Oct. 2026 In the absence of De’Von Achane, the running back who tore his ACL in Week 3, Ollie Gordon II has stepped up. — Miami Herald, 12 Oct. 2026 Shrapnel tore through the open school gates and grounds, killing forty-three people and injuring about a hundred and fifty. — Mosab Abu Toha, New Yorker, 7 Oct. 2026 That dream came to a screeching halt six years ago, when a sinkhole tore open that revealed an old mine lurking under Hideaway Hills -- forcing more than a dozen families to flee. — ABC News, 6 Oct. 2026 In the process, the pair get caught between two powerful families and the violent past that once tore them apart. — Matt Grobar, Deadline, 6 Oct. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for tore

Verb

Witnesses said the speeding car jumped over a sidewalk, knocked down a chain-link fence and ripped out another wooden fence before going airborne into the house.

— Tammy Mutasa, CBS News, 20 Oct. 2026
When the quarterback sneak is ripped from the playbook, creativity isn’t cute.

— Sam McDowell October 20, Kansas City Star, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of ripped

Verb

Ignoring that rule could get flood insurance coverage yanked for an entire community.

— Alex Harris, Miami Herald, 16 Oct. 2026
Wi-Fi is not free on those services; T-Mobile used to comp at least an hour of connectivity for subscribers, but quietly yanked that benefit in April.

— Rob Pegoraro, PC Magazine, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of yanked

Verb

Quarterback Cale Hellums ran for 195 yards and five touchdowns and Army raced past Florida Atlantic 56-24 on Saturday.

— ABC News, ABC News, 17 Oct. 2026
The Jayhawks, who raced to an early 17-7 lead and held a six-point lead in the third quarter, ultimately dropped a 35-24 decision to the Wildcats on Saturday at Bill Snyder Family Stadium.

— Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 17 Oct. 2026

Definition of raced

Verb

The bit caught a pipe strap and wrenched him off a ladder, tearing off his thumb and mangling his hand.

— Joe Rubin, Sacbee.com, 8 Oct. 2026
The flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday, after passengers stormed the cockpit and wrenched back controlfrom the attacker, who Israeli officials suspect was trying to crash the plane.

— Nicholas Wu, semafor.com, 2 Oct. 2026

Definition of wrenched

Verb

The Off Campus duo, Emma Watson, Hunter Schafer, Chase Infiniti, and Tyriq Withers, who all scurried off together to continue the already-memorable night elsewhere.

— Kelsey Stewart, Vogue, 18 Oct. 2026
Daniels also could have scurried to his feet and spiked the ball because there were seven seconds remaining when he was tackled.

— Armando Salguero OutKick, FOXNews.com, 12 Oct. 2026

Definition of scurried

Verb

Shohei Ohtani emerged from the visiting dugout at American Family Field with a bat in his hand, and the mass of media members scattered in foul territory up the third-base line shifted his way, pulled by the magnetic force that is Ohtani’s stardom.

— Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 2026
On Wednesday, the Congressional Leadership Fund, the House Republicans' super PAC, effectively dropped its push to boost Tijerina and pulled millions of dollars in ads from the district, a person familiar with the decision confirmed.

— Justin Papp, CNBC, 14 Oct. 2026