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

See Examples For:

tear away

"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

“We tear away carpets and in almost each room we discover trap doors in the wooden floors, hiding places behind old paneling,” she writes in her preface.

From New York Times ● Aug. 25, 2021

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

“You have to use your nails to carefully, gently tear away the pieces,” she said, as she creased a line down the paper with her nails.

From Salon ● Jul. 15, 2018

He wipes the tear away and stares down at the sidewalk.

From "The Benefits of Being an Octopus" by Ann Braden