tear something down—
1. dismantle or demolish smth.:
- The old theater is to be torn down and replaced by offices.
2. remove smth. by pulling down roughly:
- Even doors, fences, and planks from the wooden houses were torn down to serve as fuel.
3. (of a machine, etc.) take to pieces:
- We shall have to tear the engine down completely.
4. (U.S. coll.) criticize smth. severely:
- The insolence of a writer tearing down a piece before it’s been performed!
tear something up—
1. rip smth. up into pieces; destroy smth. by pulling it roughly:
- The workmen are tearing up the road to lay new electric wires.
2. (of a contract, etc.) break off:
- The workers have torn up the agreement with the management.