wean from

wean (away) from (something)

1. To accustom a baby or an infant mammal to stop relying solely on its mother's milk so as to take nourishment from some other source of food. In this usage, a noun or pronoun is used between "wean" and "(away) from." Doctors currently don't recommend weaning babies away from breastmilk before they are six months old. Some seal pups are weaned from their mothers' teat after only two weeks.
2. To slowly or gradually stop doing, ingesting, or consuming something to which one has developed a strong habit or dependency. I'm trying to wean away from so many fatty foods and start eating more fruits and vegetables. Some people are able to wean from smoking gradually, while other people find it better to stop completely all at once.
3. To force or accustom someone to the gradual withdrawal from some action or thing to which they have developed a strong habit or dependency. In this usage, a noun or pronoun is used between "wean" and "(away) from." I want to start weaning the kids away from TV and video games on the weekends and get them to read or play outside more. The medication helps wean patients off alcohol by simulating its effects in the brain.
See also: wean
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

wean someone (away) from something

to force someone or an animal to break a habit. (Fig. on the notion of ending the dependence of a young creature on milk alone.) It was almost impossible to wean her from her high spending habits. We couldn't wean away the dog from its mother.
See also: wean
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.

wean from

or wean off
v.
1. To accustom some young mammal to nourishment other than something, as the mother's milk, obtained by suckling: The mother weaned the child from breast milk. The child was weaned from the breast.
2. To detach someone from something to which one is strongly habituated or devoted: I finally weaned myself from cigarettes. They were weaned from their drug habits at the rehabilitation center.
See also: wean
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Phrasal Verbs.
See also:
  • wean
  • wean (away) from (something)
  • wean off (of) (something)
  • wean on
  • wean on (something)
  • accustom
  • accustom (one) to (something)
  • accustom to
  • accustomed
  • accustomed to
References in periodicals archive
The ratio of heavy to light nitrogen drops as juveniles wean from their mothers' milk, but babies nurse longer than usual if they're stressed by lack of food, Cherney said.
Hunting implicated in ice age die-off: warming didn't wipe out mammoths, study of tusks suggests
So, my advice to mums would be: breastfeed as long as you can, change to formula if you have to and go by your admirable instincts to wean from four months onwards.
When is the right time to start weaning your baby?
A: Yes, it is possible to gently guide a two-year-old to wean from night nursing.
Should I night wean my toddler? There is always more than one loving answer to the surprises we encounter in parenting
Predicting if a patient will be able to wean from mechanical ventilation is an important part of critical care medicine.
Sternomastoid, Rib Cage, and Expiratory Muscle Activity During Weaning Failure
Patients who fail to wean from mechanical ventilation via usual methods, such as pressure support weaning or progressively increasing periods of unassisted breathing through a T-piece, pose a considerable challenge to the intensive care team (3).
Inspiratory muscle training to enhance weaning from mechanical ventilation
In addition to the increases in weaning rates by 40.9% in 2004 and by 65.5% in 2005, the number of days to wean from entry into protocol and the average number of days on vents decreased initially from baseline.
Upgrading respiratory services