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Synonyms

tear into

British  
/ tɛə /

verb

  1. informal (intr, preposition) to attack vigorously and damagingly

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

tear into Idioms  
  1. see rip into.


Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

Ms Makan said that she is not trying to encourage people to "tear into" restaurants.

From BBC Feb. 16, 2025

Under certain flow conditions, cavitation can pit and tear into metal, damaging the infrastructure.

From Los Angeles Times Apr. 16, 2024

Kind servers make sure you put on the plastic gloves provided to keep the messiness level of using your hands to tear into all the goodness a manageable one.

From Seattle Times Sep. 27, 2023

Only when he was escorted off did she tear into him for trying to impede her freedom of expression, saying, “Thank you for being here.”

From New York Times Apr. 4, 2023

I tear into the pancakes with the warm syrup, making sure to drip some on my eggs too.

From "Sparrow" by Sarah Moon

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