tear away
phrasal verb·1 sense·particle away
Meanings
Make someone leave with great difficulty
Why “away”? A person, object, look, or choice becomes more distant from its starting point.
“I couldn't tear myself away from the book.”
“He couldn't tear himself away from the match.”
Don't confuse with
Tear away means make someone leave with great difficulty. Tear off means pull off forcefully.
Test yourself
“I couldn't tear myself away from the book.” What does it mean?
Nearby in the meaning map
Sink In connects verbs by particle pattern, contrast pairs, and shared base verbs.
tear off
A contrast learners often mix up
Remove forcefully by tearing
back away
Same away pattern: leaving
Move away or distance yourself, often from fear or caution
break away
Same away pattern: leaving
Escape from someone holding you; Leave a group to form a separate one; Pull ahead of others in a race
call away
Same away pattern: leaving
Be required to leave because of an urgent matter
chase away
Same away pattern: leaving
Force someone or something to leave by chasing
come away
Same away pattern: leaving
Leave a place with a particular feeling or impression
drag away
Same away pattern: leaving
Force someone to leave a place reluctantly
draw away
Same away pattern: leaving
Move ahead of competitors by extending the lead
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