Synonyms of tearing

tearing 1 of 2

adjective

as in cutting

Related Words

• cutting
• penetrating
• biting
• stinging
• shooting
• piercing
• stabbing
• tingling
• intense
• smarting
• extreme
• violent
• sharp
• acute
• vehement
• exquisite
• wrenching
• fierce
• torturing
• tormenting
• agonizing
• racking
• harrowing
• torturous
• excruciating
• raging

tearing

2 of 2

verb

present participle of tear

1

as in ripping

to cause (something) to separate into jagged pieces by violently pulling at it

angrily tore the letter to shreds

Synonyms & Similar Words

• ripping
• shredding
• rending
• splitting
• breaking
• riving
• tattering
• cutting
• ribboning
• cleaving
• rupturing
• slashing
• gashing
• lacerating
• incising
• dissecting
• dismembering
• mangling
• butchering
• hacking

2

as in yanking

to separate or remove by forceful pulling

tore the book from his hand

Synonyms & Similar Words

• ripping
• yanking
• grabbing
• pulling
• wrenching
• snatching
• prying
• wresting
• cutting (off)
• extracting
• seizing
• severing
• snapping (up)
• forcing
• uprooting
• amputating
• lopping (off)
• jerking
• nipping
• nabbing
• dissevering
• rooting (out)
• prizing

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• reattaching

3

as in hurrying

to proceed or move quickly

she tore out of the room as soon as the phone started to ring

Synonyms & Similar Words

• hurrying
• speeding
• rushing
• scurrying
• flying
• zipping
• traveling
• racing
• driving
• trotting
• chasing
• jumping
• blowing
• ripping
• buzzing
• running
• scooting
• darting
• blasting
• stepping
• dashing
• scuttling
• ramming
• zooming
• bolting
• whirling
• blazing
• barreling
• shooting
• hurling
• bowling
• hurtling
• rustling
• hustling
• jogging
• hastening
• careering
• bundling
• humping
• nipping
• careening
• rocketing
• coursing
• pelting
• breezing
• whisking
• cracking (on)
• belting
• bustling
• jetting
• haring
• motoring
• galloping
• beating it
• bombing
• hying
• cannonballing
• highballing
• flitting
• stepping on it
• scampering
• getting a move on
• hotfooting (it)
• making tracks
• streaking
• shaking a leg
• scuffling
• accelerating
• sprinting
• scudding
• whizzing
• stampeding
• overtaking
• quickening
• beetling
• outrunning
• outstripping
• outpacing
• stepping out
• catching up
• arrowing
• fast-forwarding
• beelining

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• creeping
• crawling
• poking
• dragging
• lingering
• hanging (around or out)
• poking
• lagging
• strolling
• shuffling
• loitering
• dawdling
• sauntering
• ambling
• dallying
• plodding
• lumbering
• slowing (down or up)
• decelerating
• tarrying
• dillydallying

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of tearing

Adjective

By acting as a biomechanical bridge, soft enough for muscle, strong enough for rigid parts, the tendons eliminate the tearing and detachment problems that have plagued previous designs. — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 1 Dec. 2025

Verb

The bit caught a pipe strap and wrenched him off a ladder, tearing off his thumb and mangling his hand. — Joe Rubin, Sacbee.com, 8 Oct. 2026

That, however, shouldn’t take away from something quite impressive in that Bell, less than 11 months removed from tearing his ACL, looks to be rounding into form. — Miami Herald, 7 Oct. 2026

There was some occasional screen tearing when panning the camera, and the text above NPCs was sometimes hard to read. — Zackery Cuevas, PC Magazine, 7 Oct. 2026

The Seahawks pulled away as the second half wore on, scoring three unanswered touchdowns and tearing through the heart of the Chargers’ defense, sometimes scarcely touched. — Los Angeles Times, 5 Oct. 2026

If the phone appears to be sitting somewhere nearby, playing a sound can save you from tearing the house apart. — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 30 Sep. 2026

Yeah, popping up in someone’s conscience and tearing them off a strip or whatever. — Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 30 Sep. 2026

The winning streak has put all eyes back on Kansas City, as quarterback Patrick Mahomes has showed no signs of slowing down after tearing his left ACL in November 2025, and running back Kenneth Walker has added a new dynamic to the offense. — Joseph Hernandez, Kansas City Star, 29 Sep. 2026

McCarthy missed his entire 2024 rookie season after tearing the meniscus in his right knee in the preseason. — Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 28 Sep. 2026