# tear up

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/tear-up
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

To damage.

## Examples

- 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.

## Origin

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.

---

From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.