(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.
Race winner Colton Herta said he also struggled with visibility — until his team pulled a used tear-off screen.
From Seattle Times ● May 15, 2022
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
Although we are all used to putting plastic containers into our recycling, what about all those tear-off film lids, bread bags and shopping bags which go into the rubbish bin?
From BBC ● Dec. 11, 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 tear off three little pieces of paper and draw the chicken on the first, the grain on the second, and the wolf on the third.
From "Fish in a Tree" by Lynda Mullaly Hunt
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.
