If something is apart, it’s separated from something else. It was once one thing, and now it’s divided into separate pieces.

• High winds tore the building apart.
• That old house is falling apart.
• Jose knows how to take an engine apart and then put it back together.
• Jim and Emily are married, but they separated and are now living apart.
• Financial problems tore the family apart.
• If you take a puzzle apart, you should be able to put it together again.
• The purchase agreement for the house fell apart after an inspection revealed a cracked foundation.
• Disagreements between the two main political parties are pulling the nation apart.

The dog tore the shoe apart.

You can also use “apart” in a phrase: apart from. This means that there’s an exception or a difference.

• The author’s attempt at serious literature stands apart from his other work which consists mainly of writing for comic books.
• Apart from failing his math class, Jose did quite well in school last semester.
• Apart from a broken arm, the survivor of the plane crash proved to be quite lucky.