do away with
Britishverb
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to kill or destroy
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to discard or abolish
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Make an end of, eliminate. For example, The town fathers have decided to do away with the old lighting system .
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Demolish, destroy, kill, as in The animal officer did away with the injured deer lying by the side of the road . In the 13th century both usages were simply put as do away , the with being added only in the late 1700s.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
"The computer will do away with work; everyone will be ecstatically happy."
From BBC ● Jun. 12, 2026
“I just think that we need to do away with that argument,” he said, suggesting it was being pushed by opponents for lack of a coherent vision or winning message of their own.
From Slate ● Apr. 29, 2026
A 2025 Gallup poll found that the majority of Americans say they are ready to do away with the time shift, with 48% preferring standard time year round and 24% preferring daylight saving year round.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 7, 2026
Concerns have been brewing among investors that AI could do away with the need for workers across sectors, from insurance to wealth management to real estate.
From MarketWatch ● Feb. 27, 2026
“No one has tried to do away with me today,” I reminded him, grateful for the lighter subject.
From "Twilight" by Stephenie Meyer
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
