tear at

phrase

: to cause anguish to : distress

her grief tore at his heart

Examples of tear at in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

After roughly 30 years, animal pelts can lose moisture and become brittle, meaning a coat that looks perfectly fine on the rack may begin to tear at stress points or shed once worn regularly. — Rachel Silva, Martha Stewart, 14 Aug. 2026

According to Geist, a bull will dig a wallow with his front feet, bugling and tearing at the ground with his antlers while digging. — Alex Robinson, Outdoor Life, 12 Aug. 2026

This time a year ago, the Kansas City Chiefs left tackle surprised many with his near-full bill of health after a patellar tendon tear at Ohio State. — Kansas City Star, 5 Aug. 2026

Lopez was pictured wiping away tears at Max’s graduation in June, and she was also seen at Oskar’s ceremony a week earlier. — Meg Walters, InStyle, 3 Aug. 2026

Rhymes for tear at

• begat
• bobcat
• chitchat
• doormat
• ducat
• eclat
• format
• hazmat
• muskrat
• nonfat
• polecat
• thereat