tear a strip off someone

verb

To scold vigorously.

Similar
excoriategive someone a dressing-downhaul someone over the coalsrake over the coalsread someone the riot acttell someone off
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Meanings

verbtear a strip off someone (third-person singular simple present tears a strip off someone, present participle tearing a strip off someone, simple past tore a strip off someone, past participle torn a strip off someone)

present singular third person tears a strip off someone · participle present tearing a strip off someone · past tore a strip off someone · participle past torn a strip off someone · alternative tear someone off a strip · alternative tear strips off someone

  1. slangTo scold vigorously.

    No doubt Mother tore a strip off him last night. She will never forgive him for turning away a suitor.

    2013, Lorraine Bateman, Paul Cole, Blue Days and Fair, page 211
    2 more examples

    Last night the honourable member for Miramar was going to tear a strip off the Minister of Works;[…].

    1952, New Zealand Parliament, Parliamentary Debates, volume 295, page 116

    But before Debra went out the door behind her she proceeded to tear a strip off both Miguel and Anna Maria. Miguel ended up phoning Liz at home and tearing a strip off her for telling Debra to tell him off.

    2012, Kimberley Rose Dawson, Carousel: The Relapse: Spinning Out of Control, page 260

    Synonyms: excoriate, give someone a dressing-down, haul someone over the coals, rake over the coals, read someone the riot act, tell someone off

Synonyms & antonyms

verbTo scold vigorously.

Similar
excoriategive someone a dressing-downhaul someone over the coalsrake over the coalsread someone the riot acttell someone off
Also see
haul someone over the coals

Translations

French engueuler, engueuler comme du poisson pourri
  • engueulerscold vigorously
  • engueuler comme du poisson pourriscold vigorously
German heftig beschimpfen, ordentlich die Meinung sagen
  • heftig beschimpfenscold vigorously
  • ordentlich die Meinung sagenscold vigorously
  • eine Standpauke haltenscold vigorously
  • herunterputzenscold vigorously
Icelandic úthúða
  • úthúðascold vigorously
Cite this entry
APA

tear a strip off someone. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/tear%20a%20strip%20off%20someone

MLA

“tear a strip off someone.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/tear%20a%20strip%20off%20someone. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “tear a strip off someone,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/tear%20a%20strip%20off%20someone.

Source: tear a strip off someone on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.