tear up
To damage.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“The puppy started to tear up my favorite shoes.”
“The heavy wind began to tear up the old roof during the storm last night.”
“The construction crew had to tear up the pavement to repair the broken water pipes beneath the busy city street.”
From the noun tear, denoting the saline liquid secreted by the lacrimal glands to lubricate the eye. The verbal construction derives from the physical act of weeping.
- 01
crocodile tear
A tear shed insincerely, in a false display of sorrow or some other emotion.
- 02
shed a tear
To have a tear released, to cry (from sadness)
- 03
tear a cat
To overact; to violently rant and rave on stage.
- 04
tear one's hair out
To react with extreme agitation.
- 05
tear to shreds
Synonym of tear to pieces.
- 06
tear up the dance floor
To engage vigorously in dancing.
- 07
tear up the pea patch
To put on a notable performance, especially in sports; to go on a rampage.
Last updated August 10, 2026