(tr) to separate by tearing
(intr, adverb) to rush away; hurry
(tr, adverb) to produce in a hurry; do quickly and carelessly
to tear off a letter
informal to reprimand or rebuke someone forcibly
Produce hurriedly and casually, as in He tore off a poem a day for an entire month .
Leave in a hurry, as in She tore off to the store because it was about to close . [c. 1900]
First recorded in 1885–90; adj., noun use of verb phrase tear off
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
"My tear-off has gone in the brake duct," says the reigning world champion.
From BBC ● May 16, 2024
For example, one poster said “If you are mad, think of positive thoughts”, and had tear-off strips reminding people to “Be happy”.
From NewsForKids.net ● Mar. 22, 2022
The Martha Manual daily tear-off calendar features Martha Stewart’s organizing, cleaning, decorating and cooking tips, like how to soften butter, use leftover egg whites or paint a wall.
From Seattle Times ● Dec. 22, 2021
The Corn Bowl recipe first appeared in the 1960s as a recipe tear-off sheet in retail grocery stores.
From Salon ● Oct. 24, 2021
There were four of them, stuck together in perfect two-inch square, perforated tear-off foil packets that were colorfully labeled in glossy blue print.
From "100 Sideways Miles" by Andrew Smith
The first thing the 1,000 men and women of the United States Naval Academy do, after hearing the artillery fire, is scream, tear off their shirts, and charge toward me.
From Slate ● Jun. 24, 2026
Someone instructs you to tear off pieces and dip them in the accompanying guava and plantain chutneys, silky chickpea curry and punchy pepper jelly, pooled around a peninsula of tangy cultured butter.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 30, 2026
Cinque Sweeting, among the XFL’s top kick returners last season, said there’s ample opportunity to tear off a big return for players who can run around or through the first line of defense.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 8, 2024
If you tear off a piece of the picture, a part of the content is lost.
From Science Daily ● Mar. 18, 2024
I reached under my skirt to tear off a strip of my own petticoat and hung it next to hers.
From "Nory Ryan’s Song" by Patricia Reilly Giff
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
