tear into

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Thân thiện
Definition

Verb: - To attack or criticize someone or something with great force, energy, or harshness. It implies a sudden, vigorous, and often aggressive verbal or physical assault.

Usage

The phrasal verb "tear into" is used to describe the act of launching a fierce attack. This is most commonly a verbal attack, such as harsh criticism or a reprimand. It can also describe a physical assault where someone attacks with intense energy. It is a transitive verb and requires an object (the target of the attack).

Examples
  • The coach tore into the team after their poor performance. (The coach harshly criticized the team.)
  • The critic tore into the author's new novel, calling it shallow and unoriginal. (The critic attacked the novel with severe criticism.)
  • The dog tore into the intruder, forcing him to retreat. (The dog attacked the intruder physically and violently.)
Advanced Usage
  • "to tear into someone/something": This is the standard construction. The preposition "into" is essential.
    • She tore into his argument, pointing out every logical flaw.
  • The phrase often conveys a sense of the attacker holding nothing back, releasing pent-up anger or frustration.
Variants and Related Words
  • Lash out (at): To suddenly speak angrily or criticize someone. While similar, "lash out" can be intransitive ("He lashed out in anger") and often implies a reaction to provocation.
  • Lambaste: To criticize someone or something severely. This is a more formal single-word synonym.
  • Berate: To scold or criticize angrily. This focuses more on lengthy, angry criticism.
Synonyms
  • Attack
  • Assail
  • Criticize harshly
  • Rip into (a very close synonym)
  • Lay into (a very close synonym)
Related Phrasal Verbs
  • Rip into: A near-identical synonym for "tear into," used in the same contexts.
    • The manager ripped into the employee for the missed deadline.
  • Go at: To attack or approach something with energy. It can be used for both physical and verbal confrontations.
    • The two debaters went at each other fiercely.
Related Idioms
  • Tear someone/something to shreds: To criticize someone or something very severely. This idiom is even more intense and destructive in its imagery than "tear into."
    • The panel tore his proposal to shreds during the review.
Verb
  1. hit violently, as in an attack

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