tear somebody/something apart phrasal verb (see also tear)

1. tear something ↔ apart to cause serious arguments in a group of people Synonym : rip apart:
Scandal is tearing the government apart.
a row that tore the family apart

2. literary to separate people who are in a close relationship with each other:
Nothing can tear us apart!

3. to make someone feel extremely unhappy or upset:
Seeing her so upset really tore him apart.

4. tear something ↔ apart to break something violently into a lot of small pieces Synonym : rip apart:
Her body had been torn apart by wolves.

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

tear apart
tear apart (someone/something)
1.
to severely criticize someone or something.
The critics tore apart his first novel, but he never gave up and finally achieved great success.

His teachers tore him apart for cheating on the test.

2.
to hurt someone or something badly.
The college was torn apart by antiwar protests.

The families of the victims were torn apart with grief and anger and sorrow.

Success has a way of tearing up relationships.

Etymology: based on the literal meaning of tear apart (= pull into pieces)

[TahlilGaran] English Idioms Dictionary ▲

tear apart something
tear apart (someone/something)
1.
to severely criticize someone or something.
The critics tore apart his first novel, but he never gave up and finally achieved great success.

His teachers tore him apart for cheating on the test.

2.
to hurt someone or something badly.
The college was torn apart by antiwar protests.

The families of the victims were torn apart with grief and anger and sorrow.

Success has a way of tearing up relationships.

Etymology: based on the literal meaning of tear apart (= pull into pieces)

[TahlilGaran] English Idioms Dictionary ▲

tear apart someone
tear apart (someone/something)
1.
to severely criticize someone or something.
The critics tore apart his first novel, but he never gave up and finally achieved great success.

His teachers tore him apart for cheating on the test.

2.
to hurt someone or something badly.
The college was torn apart by antiwar protests.

The families of the victims were torn apart with grief and anger and sorrow.

Success has a way of tearing up relationships.

Etymology: based on the literal meaning of tear apart (= pull into pieces)

[TahlilGaran] English Idioms Dictionary ▲