verb

tore

tore, ripped

He tore the letter in half.

He tore the letter in half.

She tore a muscle in her leg.

She tore a muscle in her leg.

He tore down the street on his bike.

He tore down the street on his bike.

((sth.)) to pull (sth.) apart forcefully He tore the paper.

((sth.)) ((apart/up)) to pull (sth.) into pieces She tore up the old photos.

Synonyms: rip, shred, split; Antonyms: mend, repair

From Old English 'teran', meaning 'to pull apart'.

The verb 'tear' (pronounced /teər/) sounds different from the noun 'tear' (pronounced /tɪər/) for crying. 'Tore' is its past tense.

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