abreißen
tear down
verb AP-ry-sen Less Common
Origin: from ab + reißen ('to tear')
Also means
tear off
Usage Note
abreißen is a separable verb meaning to 'demolish' a building or 'tear off' a piece: Sie reißen das Haus ab ('they tear the house down'). The prefix ab- goes to the end of the clause. Intransitively it can mean a connection 'breaks off' suddenly.
Examples
"Sie reißen das alte Haus ab."
Natural Translation
They are tearing down the old house.
Literal Translation
They tear the old house down.
Related Words
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