rip apart
phrasal verb
ripped apart; ripping apart; rips apart
1
: to completely destroy (something) by tearing it into pieces
The child ripped the toy apart.
Strong winds had ripped apart many of the little beach bungalows.
—often used figurativelya tragedy/scandal that almost ripped the family apart
2
: to criticize (someone or something) in a very harsh or angry way especially by describing weaknesses, flaws, etc.
Critics ripped the author's latest novel apart.
an article that rips apart the mayor's plan
Examples of rip apart in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Wisely, the directing and producing team (Downey Jr. is a producer) hands him the drapes, the carpet, and the entire household to rip apart.
—
Randy Myers, The Mercury News, 10 Apr. 2024
When the Pacific is warmer, the region typically sees more tropical cyclones, but the Atlantic sees fewer, thanks to more upper-level winds that rip apart storms and prevent them from forming.
—Ritu Prasad, CNN, 4 Apr. 2024
At Boeing, five straight years of disastrous airplane design and quality problems have ripped apart its reputation as America’s premier aviation icon.
—Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 10 Apr. 2024
Private Tretiak, with shrapnel wounds in both legs from grenade explosions and his right hand ripped apart by a bullet, reloaded magazines for his comrade.
—Marc Santora, New York Times, 24 Mar. 2024
This was moments after a war in which many homes were ripped apart beyond repair or belief.
—Michelle Orange, Harper's Magazine, 12 Dec. 2023
When a star is ripped apart by the gravitational forces of a black hole, what is left of the star is heated so much by the intensity of those forces that a flare occurs.
—Elizabeth Rayne, Ars Technica, 14 Sep. 2023
The 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, which had been a site for civil rights activity, was ripped apart by a bomb on Sept. 15, 1963, killing four young girls and injuring several others before Sunday services.
—USA TODAY, 20 Feb. 2024
Tetiana’s leg was ripped apart, and a bullet had torn through his arm.
—Marc Santora Tyler Hicks, New York Times, 18 Feb. 2024
Randy Myers, The Mercury News, 10 Apr. 2024
When the Pacific is warmer, the region typically sees more tropical cyclones, but the Atlantic sees fewer, thanks to more upper-level winds that rip apart storms and prevent them from forming.
—Ritu Prasad, CNN, 4 Apr. 2024
At Boeing, five straight years of disastrous airplane design and quality problems have ripped apart its reputation as America’s premier aviation icon.
—Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 10 Apr. 2024
Private Tretiak, with shrapnel wounds in both legs from grenade explosions and his right hand ripped apart by a bullet, reloaded magazines for his comrade.
—Marc Santora, New York Times, 24 Mar. 2024
This was moments after a war in which many homes were ripped apart beyond repair or belief.
—Michelle Orange, Harper's Magazine, 12 Dec. 2023
When a star is ripped apart by the gravitational forces of a black hole, what is left of the star is heated so much by the intensity of those forces that a flare occurs.
—Elizabeth Rayne, Ars Technica, 14 Sep. 2023
The 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, which had been a site for civil rights activity, was ripped apart by a bomb on Sept. 15, 1963, killing four young girls and injuring several others before Sunday services.
—USA TODAY, 20 Feb. 2024
Tetiana’s leg was ripped apart, and a bullet had torn through his arm.
—Marc Santora Tyler Hicks, New York Times, 18 Feb. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'rip apart.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near rip apart
Cite this Entry
“Rip apart.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rip%20apart. Accessed 2 May. 2024.
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