as in hoodlum
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Recent Examples of tearaway
Jane Wickline’s character reveals her own tearaway outfit for a nice button to the sketch.
—
Rima Parikh, Vulture, 5 Apr. 2026
Alexia and her partner, Chris, who only shared their first names, are preparing to marry in October, and sent out wedding invitations to friends and family earlier this year, with a tearaway RSVP card and pre-stamped envelopes.
—Rachael O'Connor, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 June 2025
Folding cardboard kiosks in employee breakrooms with a tearaway pad to submit ideas to corporate.
—Elizabeth Baskin, Forbes, 4 Dec. 2024
Lululemon Women’s Tear-away Mid-rise Track Pants $128 $69 at Lululemon
I was born in 1989 and fondly remember when tearaways were all the rage in the late ‘90s.
—Katie Jackson, Travel + Leisure, 28 Nov. 2024
Special Features: Some features such as zip pockets, linings (compression or not), perforated details, drawstring gadgets, and tearaway tags are useful.
—Isaiah Freeman-Schub, Robb Report, 31 Mar. 2023
The troupe’s costumer, Denise (Juliette Lewis), smooths out the act’s kinks by supplying tearaway pants.
—Inkoo Kang, The New Yorker, 12 Dec. 2022
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
Rima Parikh, Vulture, 5 Apr. 2026
Alexia and her partner, Chris, who only shared their first names, are preparing to marry in October, and sent out wedding invitations to friends and family earlier this year, with a tearaway RSVP card and pre-stamped envelopes.
—Rachael O'Connor, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 June 2025
Folding cardboard kiosks in employee breakrooms with a tearaway pad to submit ideas to corporate.
—Elizabeth Baskin, Forbes, 4 Dec. 2024
Lululemon Women’s Tear-away Mid-rise Track Pants $128 $69 at Lululemon
I was born in 1989 and fondly remember when tearaways were all the rage in the late ‘90s.
—Katie Jackson, Travel + Leisure, 28 Nov. 2024
Special Features: Some features such as zip pockets, linings (compression or not), perforated details, drawstring gadgets, and tearaway tags are useful.
—Isaiah Freeman-Schub, Robb Report, 31 Mar. 2023
The troupe’s costumer, Denise (Juliette Lewis), smooths out the act’s kinks by supplying tearaway pants.
—Inkoo Kang, The New Yorker, 12 Dec. 2022
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tearaway
Noun
-
In the past decade, the leadership of the Kinahan organization has become rich and cosmopolitan, and their life styles have started to resemble those of international businessmen more than of street hoodlums.—
Ed Caesar,
New Yorker,
30 Apr. 2026
-
The Knesset recently legalized the death penalty for Arabs who murder Jews, but not for the hoodlum Israeli settlers who have been killing West Bank residents to seize their land.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
17 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Not only were hooligans running riot every week, but the grounds weren’t fit for purpose, and attendances were locked into a sustained nosedive.—
Richard Sutcliffe,
New York Times,
23 May 2026
-
But Bruce stands apart from his fellow hooligans.—
Samantha Agate,
Miami Herald,
22 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
One of the most innovative gangsters of the 20th century, Frank Lucas earned the title of Harlem drug kingpin in the late-‘60s and early-‘70s by importing high-quality heroin from Southeast Asia and selling it under the street name Blue Magic.—
Kevin Jacobsen,
Entertainment Weekly,
6 June 2026
-
Sensing this once-great dynasty is in decline, the outback’s most powerful factions — rival cattle barons, desert gangsters, Indigenous elders, and billionaire miners — move in for the kill, with billions of dollars at stake.—
Rosy Cordero,
Deadline,
4 June 2026
Noun
-
The fact that this racist thug has been handed policing power by Netanyahu says more about the state of Israel’s democracy and political values—and in particular about the prime minister’s values—than many Israelis might like to admit.—
Avi Issacharoff,
The Atlantic,
22 May 2026
-
White thugs destroyed it in the 1921 Race Massacre.—
Jasmine Desiree,
Los Angeles Times,
12 May 2026
Noun
-
So, while Rue and Maddy are confabbing over milkshakes in a diner, Alamo sends Rue off for a drive with his two toughs, G (Marshawn Lynch) and the icy Bishop (Darrell Britt-Gibson).—
Marlow Stern,
Variety,
11 May 2026
-
The Bookie & The Bruiser is set in 1959 New York City and features a pensive Jewish fellow named Rivner (James) and an oversized Italian-American tough named Boscolo (Vaughn).—
Anthony D'Alessandro,
Deadline,
4 May 2026
Noun
-
Truck traditionalists, however, will not settle for less than eight cylinders under the hood, Kuniskis said, and customers often tell him that a compact truck can't get them to their work site or reliably tow their boats or trailers.—
Morgan Korn,
ABC News,
7 June 2026
-
This Seattle kitchen goes from dark to light with a black hood, tile backsplash, and white cabinetry.—
Lauren Jones,
The Spruce,
6 June 2026
Noun
-
The West Texas native worked in the Permian Basin oil fields as a roughneck and later joined Texas Monthly as a fact-checker then staff writer.—
Brayden Garcia,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
3 June 2026
-
The show focuses on roughnecks and billionaires in West Texas who are trying to get rich as the oil industry continues to take over the state.—
Lori A Bashian,
FOXNews.com,
9 May 2026
Noun
-
The series has lent a cinematic gangster attraction to the Peaky Blinders, yet the term itself was not one gang — as depicted in the show — but a generic expression from the late 19th century for the ‘street ruffians’ of Birmingham, born out of the city’s ring of poverty.—
Jacob Tanswell,
New York Times,
4 Apr. 2026
-
In fact, the GTW ruffians have to give the Big Honey some props for his relative restraint in the heat of the moment.—
Sean Keeler,
Denver Post,
28 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tearaway.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tearaway. Accessed 9 Jun. 2026.
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