If you tear someone away from a place or activity, you force them to leave the place or stop doing the activity, even though they want to remain there or carry on.
Fame hasn't torn her away from her beloved Liverpool. [V n P + from]
We want to encourage students to tear themselves away from textbooks. [V pron-refl P + from]
I stared at the man, couldn't tear my eyes away. [VERB noun PARTICLE]
[Also V pron-refl P]
See full dictionary entry for tear
tear away in British English
(tɛə)
verb
1. (tr, adverb)
to persuade (oneself or someone else) to leave
I couldn't tear myself away from the television
nountearaway
2. British
a.
a reckless impetuous unruly person
b.
(as modifier)
a tearaway young man
Examples of 'tear away' in a sentence
tear away
She straightens her back and wipes her tear away with a brusque sweep of her hand.
Alex George LOVE YOU MADLY (2002)
And as the breach became larger, whole new sections of the liner would tear away or collapse.
Terman, Douglas CORMORANT
Chinese translation of 'tear away'
tear away
vt
to tear o.s. away (from sth)强迫自己离(離)开(開)(某事物) (qiǎngpò zìjǐ líkāi (mǒu shìwù))