ein|reißen
Translation
to demolish, to pull down, to tear, to catch on
Examples
Das alte Gebäude wird eingerissen.
The old building is being demolished.
Die Mauer ist an einer Stelle eingerissen.
The wall is torn in one place.
Diese schlechte Gewohnheit ist schnell eingerissen.
This bad habit quickly caught on.
Grammar Patterns
((sth.)) to demolish sth. The construction company is demolishing the old warehouse.
Similar Words
Synonyms: abreißen, demolieren; Antonyms: aufbauen, errichten
Etymology
Composed of the prefix 'ein-' (in, into) and the verb 'reißen' (to tear). The literal sense is 'to tear into', which leads to the meaning 'to demolish'.
Memory Tips
Imagine a wrecking ball 'tearing into' ('einreißen') a building to demolish it.