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
The family was ripped apart on Sept. 25, 2017, when Flewellen was involved in a horrific single car accident after dropping her boys off at school.
—
Susan Young, Peoplemag, 14 May 2024
Once the chalky fungal plug is ripped apart, the infected and disemboweled cicada flies around, raining down fluffy, brown spores.
—Cnn.com, The Mercury News, 13 May 2024
But, some of them enjoy the nostalgia of their throwback glam — mainly season 5 and All Stars 2 legend Roxxxy Andrews, who gave her sisters three of her old looks to savagely rip apart.
—EW.com, 13 May 2024
Kalamazoo County’s Portage area was hard hit as a FedEx facility was ripped apart and more than a dozen mobile homes were destroyed.
—George Walker Iv, Joey Cappelletti, and Ed White, The Christian Science Monitor, 9 May 2024
Kalamazoo County's Portage area was hard hit as a FedEx facility was ripped apart and more than a dozen mobile homes were destroyed.
—CBS News, 8 May 2024
The division that erupted in recent months in Muenster, Texas, a farming and ranching community north of Dallas, resembles the political polarization that has ripped apart many communities across the nation.
—J. David Goodman Desiree Rios, New York Times, 4 May 2024
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
Susan Young, Peoplemag, 14 May 2024
Once the chalky fungal plug is ripped apart, the infected and disemboweled cicada flies around, raining down fluffy, brown spores.
—Cnn.com, The Mercury News, 13 May 2024
But, some of them enjoy the nostalgia of their throwback glam — mainly season 5 and All Stars 2 legend Roxxxy Andrews, who gave her sisters three of her old looks to savagely rip apart.
—EW.com, 13 May 2024
Kalamazoo County’s Portage area was hard hit as a FedEx facility was ripped apart and more than a dozen mobile homes were destroyed.
—George Walker Iv, Joey Cappelletti, and Ed White, The Christian Science Monitor, 9 May 2024
Kalamazoo County's Portage area was hard hit as a FedEx facility was ripped apart and more than a dozen mobile homes were destroyed.
—CBS News, 8 May 2024
The division that erupted in recent months in Muenster, Texas, a farming and ranching community north of Dallas, resembles the political polarization that has ripped apart many communities across the nation.
—J. David Goodman Desiree Rios, New York Times, 4 May 2024
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
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 29 May. 2024.
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