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tear down

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tear down something

to race down something very fast. (See also tear something down.) The girls tore down the hallway as fast as they could run. They tore down the stairs and ran out the door.

See also: down, tear

tear someone or something down

to criticize or degrade someone or something. Tom is always tearing Jane down. I guess he doesn't like her. It's not nice to tear down the people who work in your office. Why are you always tearing my projects down?

See also: down, tear

tear something down

to dismantle or destroy something. They plan to tear the old building down and build a new one there. They'll tear down the building in about two weeks.

See also: down, tear

tear down somebody/something

also tear somebody/something down

to damage or reduce the importance of someone or something In the end, she glamorizes the very concept she is trying to tear down. Many blame the media for tearing heroes down by publicizing their mistakes.

Etymology: based on the literal meaning of tear down (to cause a structure to fall)

See also: down, tear

tear down

1. Demolish, take apart, as in They tore down the old tenements, or He loved to tear down old engines. [Early 1600s]

2. Vilify or discredit, as in He's always tearing down someone or other. [First half of 1900s]

See also: down, tear

tear down

v.

1. To demolish something; raze something: The city tore down the old warehouses. I put up posters, but my opponents tore them down.

2. To take something apart; disassemble something: The mechanic tore down the engine. We took out the motor and tore it down to find out what was wrong with it.

3. To make vicious and damaging statements about someone or something; denigrate someone or something: The speakers tried to change the audience's opinion, but the audience tore the speakers down.

See also: down, tear