tear someone a new one

present singular third person tears someone a new one · participle present tearing someone a new one · past tore someone a new one · participle past torn someone a new one

1. euphemisticTo express great anger toward (a person) for some perceived offence or shortcoming; to castigate.

   Brian, Katie's step-father, had been in the office for over an hour, and Estella, who taught in the class below, had been hard pressed to stop her students from muttering and giggling at the low boom and roar of Mr Morris's voice as he, in the parlance of the day, 'Tore Ben a new one'.

   2016, Helen Callaghan, Dear Amy, →ISBN, page 80

   Synonyms: haul someone over the coals, rip someone a new one, rip someone a new asshole, tear someone a new asshole