tear away

tear away

1. To quickly and forcefully pull or rip something away (from someone or something else). In this usage, a noun or pronoun can be used between "tear" and "away." Jill tore the note away from me when I started reading it out loud. We began tearing away the plaster from the wall to reveal a secret compartment containing hundreds of thousands of dollars.
2. To remove someone or oneself unwillingly from someone, something, or some place. In this usage, a name, noun, or pronoun can be used between "tear" and "away." I had to tear the kids away from the TV screen and make them go outside to play. We've only been dating for a couple of weeks, but we're having a hard time tearing ourselves away from one another. It was tough tearing myself away from the barbecue, but I had to catch the last bus to the airport.
3. To leave or depart very quickly. The car tore away as soon as the police officer began approaching it. The boy began tearing away from the school, trying to outrun the group of bullies in pursuit.
See also: away, tear
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

tear (oneself) away (from someone or something)

Fig. to force oneself to leave someone or something. Do you think you can tear yourself away from your friends for dinner? I could hardly tear myself away from the concert.
See also: away, tear

tear something away

 (from someone or something)
1. to peel something from someone or something. The paramedic tore the clothing away from the burn victim and began to treat the wounds immediately. She tore away the clothing from the victim. She tore the clothing away.
2. to quickly take something away from someone or something. I tore the firecracker away from the child and threw it in the lake. Liz tore away the cover from the book. She tore the wrapping paper away.
See also: away, tear

tear away (from someone or something)

to leave someone or something, running. Dave tore away from Jill, leaving her to find her own way home. Roger tore away from the meeting, trying to make his train.
See also: away, tear
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.

tear away

Remove oneself unwillingly or reluctantly, as in I couldn't tear myself away from that painting. [Late 1700s]
See also: away, tear
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.

tear away

v.
1. To remove someone or something by force: The mugger tore my bag away from me. The security guard tore away the passenger's knife.
2. To remove someone unwillingly or reluctantly: The book was so suspenseful that I couldn't tear myself away from it. We can't tear the children away from the video games, so we bought a system for the car.
3. To leave or drive off rapidly: When the stoplight turned green, the taxi tore away.
See also: away, tear
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Phrasal Verbs.
See also:
  • bring away
  • blaze away
  • blaze away at (someone or something)
  • bury away
  • chew away
  • boring
  • borne
  • bear away
  • chuck away
  • cut away
References in periodicals archive
The Sport is destined to be the tear away offspring of the Land Rover family, The emphasis is firmly on road-going performance
Son of Range Rover; Sport is top tearaway
It was reported today that the scenes, to be screened in six weeks' time, show Sally Webster bundling tear away daughter Rosie into a car and driving her to Saddle worth Moor to give her a fright.
Anger at Street's 'sick' story
Ahead of today's White Paper on anti-social behaviour, Home Secretary David Blunkett also said parents who refuse help to control their tear away children will face serious consequences.
Teenage thugs to face fines of pounds 80
As North America began to tear away from North Africa, volcanic activity and extensive faulting ripped open a valley in between --a valley that later developed into North America's East Coast.
Abrupt extinctions at end of Triassic
Gently tear away the stabilizer from the fabric wrong side and the topper from the fabric right side.
Antler Antics
HEARTBROKEN singer Lily Allen wipes a tear away yesterday as she says farewell to close pal Tarka Cordell.
Tears for Tarka
Along with Magda, in weary Rick's world are his levelheaded and reasonable wife Mel, tear away teen daughter Sam and sarcastic American co-writer Marty.
LEAD BALLOON WEDNESDAY, BBC4, 10.30pm
A TINY tear away yesterday told magistrates he skipped school for eight months because it was "boring".
School's boring says boy
IRISH parents have been contacting US brat camps in a last-ditch attempt to control their tear away teens.
BRAT CAMP CALLS
Her patriarch, Teddy Santerre -- stewing with jealousy for his beautiful wife at home as he flies dangerous missions in the Pacific -- is as convincing, and touching, as his tear away descendant Jamie struggling to work out who he is in a much more permissive era.
Books: reviews