rip somebody/something ↔ off phrasal verb informal ( see also ↑ rip )
1 . to charge someone too much money for something SYN overcharge :
The agency really ripped us off.
2 . to steal something:
Somebody had come in and ripped off the TV and stereo.
3 . to take words, ideas etc from someone else’s work and use them in your own work as if they were your own ideas SYN plagiarize
⇨ ↑ rip-off (2)
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THESAURUS
▪ tear to damage paper or cloth by pulling it too hard, or letting it touch something sharp:
She unwrapped the present carefully, trying not to tear the paper.
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I tore a hole in my jacket, climbing over the fence.
▪ rip to tear something quickly or violently:
Beth excitedly ripped open the package.
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Stop pulling my dress! You’ll rip it!
▪ split to tear your trousers or shirt when you put them on, because they are too tight for you:
He bent down and split his trousers.
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Oh no, now I’ve split my shirt.
▪ ladder British English if a woman ladders her ↑ tights or STOCKINGS , she tears them so that a long thin line appears in them:
Damn! I’ve laddered my tights!
▪ snag to catch a piece of clothing on something rough or sharp so that it tears slightly:
I snagged my shirt on a nail.
▪ shred to deliberately destroy letters, documents etc by cutting them into thin pieces, often by using a special machine:
In order to prevent fraud, it’s best to shred your bank statements.
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I went through all my papers shredding things I didn’t need.
▪ frayed torn a little along the edges – used about clothes, carpets etc that have been used a lot:
He was wearing an old pair of frayed jeans.
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The rug was a little frayed around the edges.
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The jacket was a little frayed at the cuffs.