Phrase guide

take away

noun · prep · verb · 16 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /ˌteɪk əˈweɪ/
  • Australia: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.

1

noun

Meaning 1

Nonstandard spelling of takeaway.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: alt-of, nonstandard

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

prep

Meaning 2

minus

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: childish

Examples

  • Coordinate term: goes into
  • Five take away two is three. (5-2=3)

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

verb

Meaning 3

To remove something and put it in a different place.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • Mother took our plates away and came back with some fruit for us to eat.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

verb

Meaning 4

To remove something, either material or abstract, so that a person no longer has it.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • The teacher took my mobile phone away until the end of the lesson.
  • The new law will take away some important rights from immigrant residents.
  • The doctor gave me pills to take away the pain.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

verb

Meaning 5

To remove something, either material or abstract, so that a person no longer has it.

To remove a person, usually a family member or other close friend or acquaintance, by kidnapping or killing the person.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • The mother of the murdered man spoke directly to the man who took away her son, then addressed the judge, whom she trusted would impose the maximum sentence.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

verb

Meaning 6

To subtract or diminish something.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • If I have five apples and you take away two, how many do I have left?

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

verb

Meaning 7

To leave a memory or impression in one's mind that you think about later.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • I took away the impression that the play was under rehearsed.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

8

verb

Meaning 8

To make someone leave a place and go somewhere else. Usually not with the person's consent.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • The police took him away for questioning.
  • I'm taking you away to the country for a rest. It's for your own good!

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

9

verb

Meaning 9

To prevent, or limit, someone from being somewhere, or from doing something.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • My job takes me away from home most weekends.
  • Using the internet so much can take you away from your studies.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

10

verb

Meaning 10

remove something concrete, as by lifting, pushing, or taking off, or remove something abstract

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • remove a threat
  • remove a wrapper
  • Remove the dirty dishes from the table
  • take the gun from your pocket
  • This machine withdraws heat from the environment

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: remove, take, withdraw

Antonyms: none provided

Narrower terms: epilate, depilate, harvest, tip, stem, extirpate, enucleate, exenterate, decorticate, bail, strip, undress, divest, disinvest, ablate, clean, pick, winnow, clear, clear up, muck, lift, tear away, tear off, take off, take away, take out, pit, stone, seed, unhinge, shuck, hull, crumb, chip away, chip away at, burl, knock out, scavenge, hypophysectomize, hypophysectomise, degas, husk, shell, bur, burr, clear off, clear away, flick, dismantle, defang, bone, debone, disembowel, eviscerate, draw, tusk, detusk, dehorn, scalp, weed, condense, bail out, bale out, leach, decalcify, detoxify, detoxicate, de-ionate, de-iodinate, decarbonize, decarbonise, decarburize, decarburise, decoke, delouse, ream, brush, wash, wash out, wash off, wash away, desorb, pull, demineralize, demineralise, eliminate, expectorate, clear out, drive out, carve out, defuse, dredge, wear away, wear off, amputate, cut off, resect, skim, skim off, cream off, cream, scale, descale, circumcise, undock, dig, delve, cut into, turn over, excavate, hollow, scoop, scoop out, lift out, scoop up, take up, extract, pull out, pull up, draw out, unstring, string, wipe off, wipe away, bear off, bear away, carry away, carry off, unveil, unpack, unburden, disburden, empty, discharge, unsaddle, offsaddle, shed, cast, cast off, shake off, throw, throw off, throw away, drop, dislodge, free, aspirate, suck out, delete, cancel, ladle, lade, laden, spoon, gut, head, draw off, draw away, pull off, get out, withdraw

11

verb

Meaning 11

take out or remove

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • take out the chicken after adding the vegetables

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: take out

Antonyms: add

Broader terms: remove, take, take away, withdraw

Narrower terms: bus, kill, obliterate, wipe out, cross off, cross out, strike out, strike off, mark, erase, delete, cart off, cart away, haul off, haul away

12

verb

Meaning 12

take away a part from; diminish

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • His bad manners detract from his good character

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: detract

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: reduce, cut down, cut back, trim, trim down, trim back, cut, bring down

13

verb

Meaning 13

get rid of something abstract

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • The death of her mother removed the last obstacle to their marriage
  • God takes away your sins

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: remove

Antonyms: none provided

Narrower terms: wash away

14

verb

Meaning 14

buy and consume food from a restaurant or establishment that sells prepared food

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • We'll take out pizza, since I am too tired to cook

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: take out

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: eat

15

verb

Meaning 15

remove from a certain place, environment, or mental or emotional state; transport into a new location or state

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • Their dreams carried the Romantics away into distant lands
  • The car carried us off to the meeting
  • I'll take you away on a holiday
  • I got carried away when I saw the dead man and I started to cry

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: bear off, bear away, carry away, carry off

Antonyms: bring

Broader terms: remove, take, take away, withdraw

Narrower terms: spirit away, spirit off, whisk off, whisk away

16

verb

Meaning 16

take from a person or place

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • We took the abused child away from its parents

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: take

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

79 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Belarusian: выно́сіць (vynósicʹ) — to remove something and put it in a different place
  • Belarusian: вы́несці (výnjesci) — to remove something and put it in a different place
  • Finnish: viedä — to remove something and put it in a different place
  • Finnish: ottaa pois — to remove something and put it in a different place
  • Finnish: ottaa — to remove something and put it in a different place
  • Galician: sacar — to remove something and put it in a different place
  • Galician: recoller — to remove something and put it in a different place
  • Galician: retirar — to remove something and put it in a different place
  • Gothic: 𐌰𐍆𐌽𐌹𐌼𐌰𐌽 (afniman) — to remove something and put it in a different place
  • Khmer: យកចេញ (yɔɔk cəñ) — to remove something and put it in a different place
  • Latin: auferō — to remove something and put it in a different place
  • Polish: zabrać — to remove something and put it in a different place
  • Polish: zabierać — to remove something and put it in a different place
  • Portuguese: levar embora — to remove something and put it in a different place
  • Portuguese: retirar — to remove something and put it in a different place
  • Portuguese: recolher — to remove something and put it in a different place
  • Sanskrit: हरति (harati) — to remove something and put it in a different place
  • Turkish: götürmek — to remove something and put it in a different place
  • Vietnamese: lấy đi — to remove something and put it in a different place
  • Vietnamese: mang đi — to remove something and put it in a different place
  • Vietnamese: đem đi — to remove something and put it in a different place
  • Arabic: ودى (wadda) — to remove something, either material or abstract, so that a person no longer has it
  • Egyptian: i-TA-A-D51:D40 (jṯꜣ) — to remove something, either material or abstract, so that a person no longer has it
  • Finnish: ottaa — to remove something, either material or abstract, so that a person no longer has it
  • Finnish: viedä — to remove something, either material or abstract, so that a person no longer has it
  • Finnish: ottaa pois — to remove something, either material or abstract, so that a person no longer has it
  • Finnish: riistää — to remove something, either material or abstract, so that a person no longer has it
  • French: retirer — to remove something, either material or abstract, so that a person no longer has it
  • Galician: sacar — to remove something, either material or abstract, so that a person no longer has it
  • Galician: quitar — to remove something, either material or abstract, so that a person no longer has it
  • Galician: toller — to remove something, either material or abstract, so that a person no longer has it
  • German: wegnehmen — to remove something, either material or abstract, so that a person no longer has it
  • Gothic: 𐌱𐌹𐌽𐌹𐌼𐌰𐌽 (biniman) — to remove something, either material or abstract, so that a person no longer has it
  • Ancient Greek: ἀφαιρέω (aphairéō) — to remove something, either material or abstract, so that a person no longer has it
  • Italian: togliere — to remove something, either material or abstract, so that a person no longer has it
  • Khmer: យកទៅ (yɔɔktɨw) — to remove something, either material or abstract, so that a person no longer has it
  • Latin: adimō — to remove something, either material or abstract, so that a person no longer has it
  • Old English: oftēon — to remove something, either material or abstract, so that a person no longer has it
  • Polish: zabrać — to remove something, either material or abstract, so that a person no longer has it
  • Polish: odebrać — to remove something, either material or abstract, so that a person no longer has it
  • Portuguese: retirar — to remove something, either material or abstract, so that a person no longer has it
  • Portuguese: confiscar — to remove something, either material or abstract, so that a person no longer has it
  • Portuguese: segurar — to remove something, either material or abstract, so that a person no longer has it
  • Portuguese: ficar com — to remove something, either material or abstract, so that a person no longer has it
  • Portuguese: reter — to remove something, either material or abstract, so that a person no longer has it
  • Quechua: qichuy — to remove something, either material or abstract, so that a person no longer has it
  • Sanskrit: जिहर्ति (jiharti) — to remove something, either material or abstract, so that a person no longer has it
  • Sanskrit: हरति (harati) — to remove something, either material or abstract, so that a person no longer has it
  • Spanish: quitar — to remove something, either material or abstract, so that a person no longer has it
  • Tocharian B: sāmp- — to remove something, either material or abstract, so that a person no longer has it
  • Turkish: almak — to remove something, either material or abstract, so that a person no longer has it
  • Turkish: götürmek — to remove something, either material or abstract, so that a person no longer has it
  • Vietnamese: lấy đi — to remove something, either material or abstract, so that a person no longer has it
  • Vietnamese: tước đi — to remove something, either material or abstract, so that a person no longer has it
  • Finnish: ottaa — to subtract or diminish something
  • Finnish: ottaa pois — to subtract or diminish something
  • Finnish: riistää — to subtract or diminish something
  • Galician: quitar — to subtract or diminish something
  • Galician: sacar — to subtract or diminish something
  • Portuguese: tirar — to subtract or diminish something
  • Portuguese: tirar fora — to subtract or diminish something
  • Portuguese: retirar — to subtract or diminish something
  • Finnish: saada — to leave a memory or impression in one's mind that you think about later
  • Polish: wynieść — to leave a memory or impression in one's mind that you think about later
  • Portuguese: ficar com — to leave a memory or impression in one's mind that you think about later
  • Vietnamese: rút kinh nghiệm — to leave a memory or impression in one's mind that you think about later
  • Vietnamese: rút ra — to leave a memory or impression in one's mind that you think about later
  • Finnish: viedä pois — to make someone leave a place and go somewhere else
  • Finnish: viedä — to make someone leave a place and go somewhere else
  • Galician: levar — to make someone leave a place and go somewhere else
  • Galician: conducir — to make someone leave a place and go somewhere else
  • Polish: zabrać — to make someone leave a place and go somewhere else
  • Portuguese: conduzir — to make someone leave a place and go somewhere else
  • Portuguese: levar — to make someone leave a place and go somewhere else
  • Portuguese: retirar — to make someone leave a place and go somewhere else
  • Finnish: pitää loitolla — to prevent, or limit, someone from being somewhere, or from doing something
  • Galician: afastar — to prevent, or limit, someone from being somewhere, or from doing something
  • Galician: quitar — to prevent, or limit, someone from being somewhere, or from doing something
  • Portuguese: afastar — to prevent, or limit, someone from being somewhere, or from doing something