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

“Hate and violence are antithetical to American values and tear at our community. It is therefore critical that we protect the civil and constitutional rights of our community against those who promote divisiveness.”

From Los Angeles Times

If this were any other extraordinary case of historic import, any other case likely to tear at the national fabric, the president of the United States might have stepped before the cameras to try to calm his fellow citizens and encourage faith in the American system of justice.

From New York Times