tear to shreds

present singular third person tears to shreds · participle present tearing to shreds · past tore to shreds · participle past torn to shreds

1. idiomaticSynonym of tear to pieces.

   My opportunity to see what one of these engines could do came when we left Ballymoney on the train from Derry eight minutes late: No. 53 and her crew tore the schedule to shreds and reached Belfast six minutes early, having gained time on every section.

   1959 June 29, R. A. Young, “A Railway Holiday in Ireland—2”, in Railway Magazine, page 420

   Synonyms: tear to pieces