tear away

British  

/ tɛə /

verb

1. (tr, adverb) to persuade (oneself or someone else) to leave

   I couldn't tear myself away from the television

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noun

1. 1. a reckless impetuous unruly person

   2. ( as modifier )

      a tearaway young man

tear away Idioms  

1. Remove oneself unwillingly or reluctantly, as in I couldn't tear myself away from that painting. [Late 1700s]

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Example Sentences

"All he did was tear away that fragile veil in advance, placing the reality outside the room plainly on the table," one Xiaohongshu post read after his death.

From BBC • Mar. 27, 2026

Historically, warrantless subpoenas under these laws were used as a narrow investigative tool for specific customs and regulatory violations, not as a weapon to tear away the privacy and protected speech of social media users.

From Salon • Mar. 12, 2026

A combination of damaged sluice gates and high water might tear away a few gates, but would not be expected to rip apart so much of the dam, the professor said.

From New York Times • Jun. 6, 2023

Palm fronds can tear away and tumble toward pedestrians below; in the best-case scenario, when the frond doesn’t hit anyone or a car, it becomes litter.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 3, 2021

I wiped a tear away from the corner of my eye.

From "Red Kayak" by Priscilla Cummings