cast away
Idioms-
Also, cast aside . Discard, reject, as in He picked a book, then cast it aside , or She cast away all thoughts of returning home . [Early 1400s]
-
Squander, waste, as in She cast away a fortune on jewelry . Shakespeare used this idiom in King John (2:1): “France, hast thou yet more blood to cast away?” [Early 1500s]
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.
"Practical Magic 2" cast away Sony's "Spider-Man" from its weeks-long perch atop the North American box office, industry estimates showed Sunday.
From Barron's ● Sep. 13, 2026
Anguished and alone, Nick is similarly cast away, seemingly cursed to spend the rest of his days forsaken in his hometown, now a foreign land.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 19, 2026
It’s an issue of confidence, with Emily Mann directing her cast away from Williams’s assured dialogue and toward their characters’ flailing.
From New York Times ● Dec. 26, 2023
So relax your shoulders, unclench your jaw, cast away any negative misconceptions that you shouldn't have dessert for breakfast, and cut yourself a slice of this rustic Apple galette.
From Salon ● Apr. 2, 2022
‘This did not drop by chance: it was cast away as a token to any that might follow. I think Pippin ran away from the trail for that purpose.’
From "The Two Towers" by J. R. R. Tolkien
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.
