Meaning
- Make away with means to steal something, often quickly and secretly.
- In older or formal usage, it can also mean to kill or get rid of someone/something.
Grammar and Usage
- Phrasal verb (transitive).
- Structure: make away with + noun
- Commonly used in the context of theft or crime.
Example pattern:
- "They made away with the stolen money."
- "The villain made away with his enemies." (less common, older usage)
Common Phrases
- make away with money
- make away with valuables
- make away with evidence
Collocations
- Verb + make away with: try to, manage to, attempt to
- Noun + make away with: thief, robber, criminal
- Object + make away with: money, jewelry, documents, goods
Examples
- The burglars made away with a large amount of cash.
- Someone tried to make away with her handbag in the crowd.
- The robbers made away with the jewels before the police arrived.
- He attempted to make away with company documents.
- The shoplifter made away with several expensive items.
- In the old novel, the murderer made away with his rival.
- Thieves made away with the laptop left in the car.
Synonyms or Related
- steal
- run off with
- abscond with
- pilfer
- snatch
Antonym
- return
- give back
- hand over