tear down — demolish (a building or structure)
phrasal verbB1IELTS 5+neutralcommon
To completely destroy or remove a building or structure, usually so that something else can be built in its place.
Say it like a native
Textbook The authorities intend to demolish the old structure.
Native They're going to tear down the old building.
'Tear down' is the everyday verb for knocking a building down; 'demolish' is more formal.
Pattern: tear down [object]
In use
- They decided to tear down the old cinema to make room for a new shopping center.daily life
- If I could change something in my city, I would tear down the abandoned factories and replace them with parks.IELTS speaking
Common mistake
✗ They want to tear down it.
✓ They want to tear it down.
With a pronoun, the object goes in the middle: 'tear it down'.
Common collocations
tear down + structure— the building, the wall, the old house, the stadium
Don't confuse it
'Tear down' is about removing something big like a house, while 'break down' can mean something stops working.
Related
- tear down (criticize harshly) — Another meaning of 'tear down' is 'criticize harshly'; compare the examples to keep the meanings separate.