Tear to pieces is an idiom that means to destroy something, usually by force. The crossword solutions for this term are RIVE (4 letters), SHRED (5 letters), REND (4 letters), and RIPUP (5 letters). RIVE means to split or tear apart with force, SHRED means to tear into small pieces, REND means to tear apart violently, and ripup means to tear into pieces. All of these words describe the action of tearing something apart, which is the meaning of the phrase 'tear to pieces'.