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Prepositions after verbs

Rip off, rip through, or rip from?

Rip combines with different particles and prepositions depending on the meaning: removing something, moving violently, or separating something from a source.

Quick answer

Which form should you use?

Use rip off for removing something quickly or for overcharging someone. Use rip through for violent movement across or through something. Use rip from when something is removed or separated from a source.

He ripped off the label.
The fire ripped through the building.
The page was ripped from the notebook.

Choose the pattern by meaning

These forms are not interchangeable. Choose the construction by meaning, not by which preposition appears most often.

1
rip off + object

Removing something quickly

Rip off often means to remove something by tearing.

She ripped off the old poster.
2
rip off + person

Charging too much money

Rip off can also mean to cheat someone financially.

That shop ripped off tourists.
3
rip through + place/material

Moving violently through something

Rip through describes fast, destructive movement.

The storm ripped through the coastal town.
4
rip from + source

Separating from an origin

Rip from shows where something was torn away.

Several quotes were ripped from the article.

See the difference in context

The same subject can take different constructions because each sentence answers a different question.

Construction
Example
Meaning
rip off
Someone ripped off my backpack.
stole or removed something
rip through
The bullet ripped through the door.
passed violently through
rip from
She ripped a recipe from the magazine.
removed something from a source
rip in
The dog ripped in the garden.
in is only a place adjunct here, not a fixed verb pattern

Common mistakes

Some combinations appear in real text but do not mean what learners often assume.

Using rip from for cheating

Rip from does not mean to overcharge or scam.

✕ The taxi driver ripped from us. ✓ The taxi driver ripped us off.

Using rip through for removal

Rip through suggests movement across or through something.

✕ She ripped through the page from the book. ✓ She ripped the page from the book.

Confusing off and from

Off focuses on removal; from names the source.

✕ He ripped off the wall the painting. ✓ He ripped the painting from the wall.

Adding unnecessary prepositions

Rip can take a direct object without a preposition.

✕ She ripped off from the package. ✓ She ripped the package open.

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. The wildfire ___ the forest in hours.
2. Someone ___ my parents at that repair shop.
3. He tore the photo ___ the newspaper.

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Frequently asked questions

Can rip off mean steal?

Yes. Rip off can mean steal something or cheat someone.

Is rip through always physical?

No. It can also describe fast progress, such as a team ripping through a schedule.

Can I say rip from a wall?

Yes. Rip from is natural when you mention the source or origin.

radiate-from-into-around-to, with "raise in" or "raise by"? rake in, through, across, at or over? rally in, around, to, behind or on? "rape by" or "rape in"? ratify by, in, on, according or as? ravage by, from, on, through or with? rave about, at, from, to or before? reach for, by, at, to or into? react to, with, in, by or like? read about, in, on, through or for? "realize in", "realize at" or "realize by"?

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