tear at

Idioms  

1. Pull at or attack violently, as in Jane eagerly tore at the wrapping paper , or The dog tore at the meat . [Mid-1800s]

2. Distress, as in Their plight tore at his heart .

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Example Sentences

England's 2014 World Cup-winning captain Katy Daly-McLean said: "I had a tear at the anthems. There's 80,000 people here and the game is delivering."

From BBC

"I actually sat down and shed a tear at the colour of the water," Mr Elves said.

From BBC

I mean even though this is a depressing opera, the music is thrilling and I know I’m going to shed a tear at the end.

From Los Angeles Times

A ruling that weakens the current nationwide injunctions would not only gut the 14th Amendment’s promise of equal citizenship, but it would tear at the core of America’s national identity.

From Slate

To close his farewell speech, Romney warned of the challenge created by those “who would tear at our unity.”

From Los Angeles Times