TORN Synonyms: 151 Similar and Opposite Words

torn

verb

Definition of torn

past participle of tear

as in ripped

to cause (something) to separate into jagged pieces by violently pulling at it angrily tore the letter to shreds

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

as in grabbed

to separate or remove by forceful pulling tore the book from his hand

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

reattached

as in sped

to proceed or move quickly she tore out of the room as soon as the phone started to ring

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of torn Roots of trees were torn clean out of the ground in the neighborhood in front of Broadview Middle School, on streets ICE vehicles had patrolled earlier in the day. — Laura Tillman, Hartford Courant, 31 Aug. 2026 Mighty Mary sailors Annie Gardner and JJ Fetter said they were initially torn about whether to participate, as both had young children. — Madeleine Kashkooli, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Aug. 2026 Even aside from those injuries and Moody’s torn patellar tendon, the rest of the roster is far from a perfect picture of health. — Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 27 Aug. 2026 Today was asparagus, but I was torn between heirloom tomato or zucchini versions, too. — Elly Leavitt, Vogue, 21 Aug. 2026 Las Vegas Raiders coach Klint Kubiak is either playing some sort of mind game or he sincerely is torn about naming a starting quarterback to open the regular season. — Armando Salguero Outkick, FOXNews.com, 21 Aug. 2026 Months later, Qaddafi was dragged into the street and torn to pieces by his own people. — Tom Nichols, The Atlantic, 20 Aug. 2026 Sure, those reasons included injuries, particularly Patrick Mahomes’ torn ACL and LCL. — Kansas City Star, 19 Aug. 2026 The Virginia native has torn her ACL twice, once in 2019 and again in 2023. — Lawrence Dow, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 19 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for torn

Verb

After Jeremy Pena singled, Alvarez ripped a low-inside sinker to the warning track in right-center for a 7-6 lead.

— CBS News, CBS News, 26 Aug. 2026
Advocates for victims said that gun violence has ripped any sense of normalcy from families and entire neighborhoods.

— Yona Gavino, Miami Herald, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of ripped

Verb

The officer is also seen putting a woman in a patrol car, the same woman who is shown on the ground having her hair yanked by an officer.

— Briauna Brown, CBS News, 24 Aug. 2026
In Berkeley, where California clay culture yanked ceramics out of the category of polite craft and into something huge, physical, ugly, and beautiful, Heilmann learned to weld.

— Jerry Saltz, Vulture, 18 Aug. 2026

Definition of yanked

Verb

Barrichello competed as an F1 driver for 19 seasons and has also raced as an IndyCar and stock car driver.

— Catherine Odom, Miami Herald, 25 Aug. 2026
Drivers who raced in Sunday's Freedom 250 Grand Prix praised everything from the challenging street course to the one-of-a-kind setting surrounding it.

— Mike Stunson, USA Today, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of raced

Verb

Mendoza’s first drive ended with his first interception, which Texans linebacker Wade Woodaz snatched and took back 80 yards for a pick six.

— Sam Warren, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2026
The thieves then snatched the paintings and fled through the museum’s gardens—the whole heist took place in under three minutes.

— News Desk, Artforum, 17 Aug. 2026

Definition of snatched

Verb

Chinese advances in dam-building technology in recent years and a race to electrify with clean energy and cut off coal –– as well as a simmering, high-altitude China-India border feud –– have driven change in the region.

— Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 29 Aug. 2026
Her parents, Monique and Anthony David, had driven an hour and a half to get to Flushing Meadows.

— Albert Samaha, New Yorker, 29 Aug. 2026

Definition of driven

Browse Nearby Words

torments

torn

tornado

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Torn.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/torn. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of torn

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

conscientious

Popular in Grammar & Usage

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Popular in Wordplay

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Games & Quizzes