For the next two years we lived not just next door to the wild ocean,
but to a massive construction site. The house was bad enough, but the
ripping up of the trees, the building of roads, the manicuring of once wild lawn was enough to stir something close to rage even in a
calm observer.Let There Be Night: Testimony on Behalf of the Dark by Paul Bogard
Is “rip down” also possible here? What is the difference between “rip up” and “rip down”? Their definitons seem similar.
Rip up : to completely destroy (something) by tearing it into pieces
(Merriam Webster)https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rip%20up
Rip down:
To dismantle or disassemble a large object or structure.
To demolish a large object or structure. (the free dictionary)
Best Answer
rip up/out/down
There is also rip out. Rip is a violent-type action. Out/in/up goes to the direction of the action being exerted or performed. Ripping up/out/down is the gerund noun. The ripping action is associated with a direction and a place from which it is dislodged.
So, you might have:
That last one is a phrasal verb and does mean to destroy, and is often used about paper or textiles. The others are not strictly speaking phrasal verbs.
The trees were ripped up [from the ground or out of the ground].