They would tear past

[suprunp]

He had expected something to happen, but still he recoiled when a horizontal sheet of metal—thirty feet long and four inches thick—shot out of each wall with a terrible screech.
[...]
The plates of metal are too big and heavy. They would tear past whatever was in front of them as if it were not there.
(C. Paolini; Inheritance)

What 'past' is supposed to mean here?
Does it mean 'in a direction so as to pass by or go beyond'?

Thanks.

[emsr2d2]

He had expected something to happen, but still he recoiled when a horizontal sheet of metal—thirty feet long and four inches thick—shot out of each wall with a terrible screech.
[...]
The plates of metal are too big and heavy. They would tear past whatever was in front of them as if it were not there.
(C. Paolini; Inheritance)

What 'past' is supposed to mean here?
Does it mean 'in a direction so as to pass by or go beyond'?

Thanks.

Yes.

[Gillnetter]

He had expected something to happen, but still he recoiled when a horizontal sheet of metal—thirty feet long and four inches thick—shot out of each wall with a terrible screech.
[...]
The plates of metal are too big and heavy. They would tear past whatever was in front of them as if it were not there.
(C. Paolini; Inheritance)

What 'past' is supposed to mean here?
Does it mean 'in a direction so as to pass by or go beyond'?

Thanks.

Here, to tear means to move quickly. The plates of metal would go ahead (go past) other things. A speeding car will tear past slower cars on the highway.

[emsr2d2]

To show speed, we use a variety of verbs and can combine them with "past" to show that someone is overtaking (whether in a car or on foot).

He flew past me,
He tore past me.
He shot past me.