tear at
Idioms-
Pull at or attack violently, as in Jane eagerly tore at the wrapping paper , or The dog tore at the meat . [Mid-1800s]
-
Distress, as in Their plight tore at his heart .
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.
But she added: "The crimes that tear at the fabric of communities, like shop theft and shop robbery, continue to rise and we must do more."
From BBC • Jan. 29, 2026
I mean even though this is a depressing opera, the music is thrilling and I know I’m going to shed a tear at the end.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 16, 2025
Indiana University Media School professor Jason Peifer summarized at a public event on the subject that dramatic cuts to local newspapers tear at the fabric connecting communities.
From Seattle Times • Feb. 2, 2024
The study also finds evidence for a vertical fracture, or tear, at the boundary between the peeled-apart section of the slab and its intact neighbor.
From Science Magazine • Jan. 9, 2024
His eyes tear at me, suddenly “How would you feel if you had to be somewhere right now and didn’t know how to get there?”
From "I Am the Messenger" by Markus Zusak
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.
