tear away

British

/ tɛə /

verb

(tr, adverb) to persuade (oneself or someone else) to leave

I couldn't tear myself away from the television

"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

noun

1. a reckless impetuous unruly person
2. ( as modifier )
  
  a tearaway young man

"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 away Idioms

Remove oneself unwillingly or reluctantly, as in I couldn't tear myself away from that painting. [Late 1700s]

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.

“I just saw it tear away and slip under the water. It’s gone.”

From Literature

"You're watching a little bit in awe for the first few episodes," he confessed, "but then by the end, you're there sat with tissues drying tears away… it's a very, very sweet story."

From BBC

The humid air rushes past my face as I fly up, blowing the tears away from the corners of my eyes.

From Literature

A female juror was visibly upset as the foreman returned the verdicts and as she wiped tears away, she was comforted by two fellow jury members.

From BBC

As the bus starts moving, people wave through the windows and wipe their tears away.

From BBC

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023