carry off
Britishverb
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to remove forcefully
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to win
he carried off all the prizes
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to manage or handle (a situation) successfully
he carried off the introductions well
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to cause to die
he was carried off by pneumonia
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Handle successfully, win, as in It was a difficult situation, but he managed to carry it off gracefully , or They carried off first prize . [First half of 1800s]
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Cause the death of someone, as in The new African virus carried off an entire village . This usage is less common today. [Late 1600s]
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.
“Fevers and diseases of the malarial character carry off about half of mankind, and diseases of the respiratory organs one-fourth,” he wrote.
From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 10, 2025
A powerful carry off the back of the scrum from England number eight Alex Matthews helped set up Muir to barge her way over to quickly respond in an action-packed opening 10 minutes.
From BBC • Oct. 13, 2024
As anyone who has witnessed an ant carry off food from a picnic knows, insects are far stronger than their puny size suggests.
From Science Daily • Sep. 19, 2023
Election experts say that measures implemented over the years make it extremely unlikely that a malicious insider could carry off a hack that alters votes to throw an election.
From Washington Post • May 28, 2022
When they tried to smile to carry off their tiredness as if it was nothing, the body did nothing to help the mind’s attempt at disguise.
From "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" by Maya Angelou
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.
