取とり崩くずす

と

り

く

ず

す

Meanings

1

godan verb (-su), transitive verb

demolish; tear down; pull down

Used for physically dismantling or demolishing structures, such as buildings or walls.

古ふるい家いえを取とり崩くずして、新あたらしい家いえを建たてた。
We tore down the old house and built a new one.

壁かべを取とり崩くずして部屋へやを広ひろくした。

We demolished the wall to make the room bigger.

2

godan verb (-su), transitive verb

draw on savings; break into a fund; eat into

Used figuratively for gradually using up financial reserves, savings, or stock. Often implies piecemeal consumption.

退たい職しょく後ごは貯ちょ金きんを取とり崩くずして生せい活かつしている。
After retirement, I'm living by drawing on my savings.
緊きん急きゅう用ようの資し金きんを取とり崩くずすのは最さい終しゅう手しゅ段だんだ。
Breaking into the emergency fund is a last resort.

Written forms

取とり崩くずすUsage64%
Standard kanji spelling with okurigana; the most common written form.
取とり崩くずすUsage33%
Variant spelling without the okurigana り; less common but still encountered.
とりくずすUsage3%

Kanji

取take, fetch, take up
崩crumble, die, demolish

Similar words

崩くずす
崩す means to break, destroy, or change the shape of something, often with a focus on the action itself. 取り崩す adds the nuance of taking something apart piece by piece, either physically (demolish) or financially (draw down).
取とり壊こわす
取り壊す is more common for demolishing buildings and structures, while 取り崩す can also be used for physical demolition but is less frequent in that sense. 取り崩す is the standard choice for the financial sense.

Etymology

Compound of 取り (continuative form of 取る, 'to take') and 崩す ('to break down, destroy'). The core meaning is 'to take and break down', extended to physical demolition and the gradual depletion of resources.