tear up
To rip something into lots of little pieces, or to start crying or feel like you want to cry.
Meanings
To rip a document or object into pieces, usually to destroy or discard it.
"In a fury, she tore up his letter and threw the pieces in the bin."
To become visibly emotional; to have tears come to your eyes.
"He tore up when he heard the tribute his colleagues had written about him."
To cancel or disregard an agreement or set of rules.
"The new government threatened to tear up the international climate agreement."
'Tear up' for becoming emotional is intransitive and common in both British and American English. The physical sense is universal. Also used informally to mean performing brilliantly (overlapping with 'tear it up').
Commonly used with
Forms
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Synonyms
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