idiom
Tear the Social Fabric
tair thuh SOH-shul FAB-rik
/tɛər ðə ˈsoʊʃəl ˈfæbrɪk/Listen
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Syllable breakdown
tearthesocialfabric
Dictionary meaning
To damage or destroy the network of relationships, shared values, and trust that hold a community or society together
History and origin
The metaphor of society as a woven cloth, with shared institutions as threads; dates to at least the 19th century
Examples
- Decades of inequality and mistrust have begun to tear the social fabric of the city.
- Politicians warned that the proposed law would tear the social fabric that communities depend on.
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