tear away
US /ter əˈweɪ/
UK /ter əˈweɪ/
1.
to leave a place or situation with difficulty, often because one is reluctant to go or is being held back
:
•
It was hard to tear myself away from the party.
•
She had to tear away from her work to attend the meeting.
2.
to remove something by tearing it off forcefully
:
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He tried to tear away the old wallpaper.
•
The strong wind threatened to tear away the roof.