tear down
Medium-high frequency, common in news, business, and technical contexts.Semi-formal to formal. More common in written and professional spoken language than casual chat.
Definition
Meaning
To deliberately destroy or dismantle a structure, object, or abstract system.
To criticize or deconstruct an idea, argument, or person's reputation with thorough, often harsh, analysis.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Implies a deliberate, often forceful or aggressive, act of destruction or dismantling. Can be physical (buildings) or metaphorical (arguments). The object is typically rendered non-functional or non-existent.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in core meaning. 'Demolish' is slightly more formal in both, but equally common.
Connotations
In business/tech contexts, 'tear down' can have a neutral, analytical meaning (e.g., a product teardown). In political/social contexts, it often carries negative connotations of aggressive opposition.
Frequency
Slightly more frequent in American English in the context of urban development and tech product analysis.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[Subject] tear down [Object][Subject] tear [Object] down (separable phrasal verb)Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Tear down to build up (suggests destructive change for renewal).”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
The new CEO plans to tear down the old departmental silos to improve communication.
Academic
The scholar sought to tear down the prevailing theory with new archaeological evidence.
Everyday
They had to tear down the old shed before they could put up the new one.
Technical
The engineer performed a tear-down of the prototype to identify cost-saving measures.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The council voted to tear down the dilapidated tower block.
- Her essay neatly tears down the opposition's main premise.
American English
- The city is going to tear down the old factory to make way for a park.
- The critic tore the author's latest novel down in his review.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The workers will tear down the small wooden fence.
- The old cinema was torn down last year to build a supermarket.
- Activists are campaigning to tear down the controversial monument.
- The journalist's investigation aimed to tear down the carefully constructed public image of the corporation.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a giant literally tearing a poster DOWN from a wall, ripping it to pieces.
Conceptual Metaphor
ARGUMENTS/IDEAS ARE BUILDINGS (to tear down an argument). SYSTEMS ARE STRUCTURES (to tear down a corrupt system).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Do not confuse with 'tear' (cry) /tɪə/. This is 'tear' /teə/ ~ 'рвать', 'срывать'. 'Tear down' is stronger than just 'разобрать'; it implies destruction, akin to 'снести', 'разрушить'.
Common Mistakes
- Using 'tear down' for accidental destruction (use 'break down'). Forgetting it is separable: 'They tore the building down' is correct. Confusing spelling: 'tear' not 'tare'.
Practice
Quiz
In a tech review, a 'tear down' typically refers to:
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
It is semi-formal. Perfect for news, business, and academic writing. 'Demolish' or 'dismantle' might be chosen for more formal registers.
Yes, but metaphorically. It means to severely criticize or destroy someone's reputation (e.g., 'The interview was designed to tear down the politician').
'Tear down' is deliberate destruction/dismantling. 'Break down' is often accidental or refers to a mechanical failure, or can mean to analyze information (e.g., 'break down data').
No. The past tense of 'tear' in this sense is 'tore'. The correct form is 'tore down' (e.g., 'They tore it down').