strip away
Verb
Meaning
(transitive) To remove, whether bit by bit or suddenly.
When we stripped away the old wallpaper, we discovered an interesting mural painted on the wall.
The government has stripped away some of our basic rights by passing a series of controversial laws.
(transitive, figuratively) To discard or disregard; to ignore (a factor that obscures the reality).
If you strip away the hype, you find that he is just an ordinary person trying to make a living, like everyone else.
Synonyms
Examples
Strip away the phony tinsel of Hollywood and you'll find the real tinsel underneath.
Strip away the usual hot air, and bin Laden's audiotape is the sign of a seriously weakened man.
I decided to start anew, to strip away what I had been taught.
Isn't it amazing how, when you strip away everything, people are so much alike?
I look at smoking as a crutch, and as an actor I would like strip away as many crutches as possible.
But the reality is when you write a song, you should be able to strip away all the instruments and just have a song right there with an acoustic guitar and a voice, and the song should be good.