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 Daemon is knocked to the ground and then watches as Sheepstealer, ripped and torn and bloody, drags itself away. — Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 3 Aug. 2026 Additionally, her wetsuit and swimsuit were torn in the area of her apparent injuries. — Noe Padilla, USA Today, 1 Aug. 2026 Guliyeva said that police officers had struck her seven times on the head and torn out her hair. — Marc Fisher, New Yorker, 30 July 2026 Her wetsuit and swimsuit were torn in areas corresponding to her injuries. — Ethan Baron, Mercury News, 30 July 2026 Putin and Erdoğan’s secret campaigns are being fought under the radar, in places that are torn between rival nation states and their conflicting understandings of the past and future. — Literary Hub, 30 July 2026 Huge wildfires have torn through France and Spain, leaving several people dead and displacing hundreds of thousands of others. — Annika Neklason, Time, 29 July 2026 Based on my preliminary testing, I was torn between using Cinema mode (which has the best color accuracy) and Vibrant mode (which is a little blue-shifted, but delivers a brighter picture overall and better shadow detail) for my viewing tests. — M. David Stone, PC Magazine, 25 July 2026 François remains torn about his family’s legacy—and as an architect his work focuses on energy conservation. — Jordan Blum, Fortune, 24 July 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for torn

Verb

The images her sister captured after the strike show the trajectory of the projectile, which ripped through floor after floor, and left a gaping hole covered in a thick layer of white dust.

— Ava Bambuck, CNN Money, 6 Aug. 2026
As if it were ripped from a movie script, Crow-Armstrong slugged a leadoff home run in the first — just as Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani had in the top of the inning to cap a 10-pitch at-bat against Shota Imanaga.

— Meghan Montemurro, Chicago Tribune, 6 Aug. 2026

Definition of ripped

Verb

This bestselling line of classic creepy characters is yanked straight from your best memories of Halloween as a child.

— Kelsey Legg, ABC News, 4 Aug. 2026
Karol then appeared to try deescalating the abrupt encounter, but she was yanked by the fan again before security escorted him from the stage.

— Edward Segarra, USA Today, 31 July 2026

Definition of yanked

Verb

In the 34th minute, Murphy launched a long ball in the path of forward Sammy Smith who raced past multiple defenders and finished it for the 1-0 lead.

— ABC News, ABC News, 2 Aug. 2026
In the Var, a fire declared fixed earlier in the week had raced back across the hills within hours on Friday.

— Thomas Adamson, Fortune, 1 Aug. 2026

Definition of raced

Verb

The phone on the wall rang, and Rebecca snatched the receiver, then pulled the curly cord down the steps to the basement and shut the door.

— Rachel Yoder, New Yorker, 2 Aug. 2026
In Friday’s first red zone drill of training camp, Purdy wisely threw a ball that the 6-foot-5 Evans snatched high at the goal line, with an almost unnecessary leap against 5-foot-9 cornerback Upton Stout.

— Cam Inman, Mercury News, 1 Aug. 2026

Definition of snatched

Verb

One in four data breaches were driven by AI from February 2025 to March 2026, according to an IBM report.

— Lisa Eadicicco, CNN Money, 9 Aug. 2026
By contrast, about 90 percent of the distance driven by Perseverance has been autonomous thanks to its (slightly) more modern Vision Compute Element.

— Eric Berger, ArsTechnica, 8 Aug. 2026

Definition of driven

Verb

Abello pulled one back with her first goal of the season in the fourth minute of second-half stoppage time.

— Kyle Foley, The Orlando Sentinel, 8 Aug. 2026
Police say Coffer was pulled to safety by his boat partner, who told police Simpson fled the scene and the boy was gasping for air.

— ABC News, ABC News, 7 Aug. 2026

Definition of pulled

Browse Nearby Words

torments

torn

tornado

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Style

“Torn.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/torn. Accessed 9 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of torn

verb

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