tearaway

1 of 2

noun

tear·​away ˈter-ə-ˌwā How to pronounce tearaway (audio)
British
: a rebellious and unruly or reckless young person

tear away

2 of 2

verb

tore away; torn away; tearing away; tears away

transitive verb

: to remove (someone, such as oneself) reluctantly

Examples of tearaway in a Sentence

Noun a gang of teenage tearaways
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Timbers makes sure there’s almost always something to catch your eye; the actors always seem to be entering the dance floor suddenly and from unexpected angles, wearing costumes by Clint Ramos that always seem to come with show-stopping tearaway reveals. Vulture, 20 July 2023 As for the origin of the tearaway pants, also used by NBA players to instantly bypass shoes for pants removal, that's not clear. Bryan Alexander, USA TODAY, 22 Nov. 2022
Verb
In those final moments in the courtroom, many jurors were emotional, with some wiping tears away as the verdict was delivered. Rachel Smith, The Courier-Journal, 2 Nov. 2024 WoW’s unprecedented growth also tore away at Blizzard’s culture. Jason Schreier, The Atlantic, 7 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for tearaway 

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1950, in the meaning defined above

Verb

circa 1699, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of tearaway was circa 1699

Dictionary Entries Near tearaway

tear away

tearaway

tear bag

Cite this Entry

“Tearaway.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tearaway. Accessed 29 Nov. 2024.

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