dispose of

Idioms  

1. Attend to, settle, deal with, as in He quickly disposed of the problem . [Early 1600s]

2. Transfer, part with, as by giving away or selling. For example, They wanted to dispose of the land as soon as possible . [Second half of 1600s]

3. Get rid of, throw out, as in Can we dispose of the trash in this barrel? Oliver Goldsmith had this idiom in She Stoops to Conquer (1773): “I'm disposing of the husband before I have secured the lover.” [Mid-1600s]

4. Kill or destroy; also, humorously, consume. For example, The king was determined to dispose of his enemies , or John disposed of the cake in no time . [Second half of 1800s]

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Example Sentences

How will the factories store and dispose of toxic waste?

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 18, 2026

Following the debt-for-equity exchange, Western Digital is expected to own around 1.7 million Sandisk shares, which it intends to dispose of either via exchanges for its own stock or distributions to its shareholders.

From Barron's • Feb. 18, 2026

“How can she treat a relationship like this, and dispose of it once it’s served its purpose?” said Julio Esperias, a Democratic Party activist who volunteered with Raman’s 2024 campaign at Bass’ request.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 15, 2026

Customers who have purchased the recalled chocolates are advised not to consume them and to dispose of them immediately.

From Salon • Jan. 27, 2026

He had also found Gwenforte’s turd and somehow managed to dispose of it gracefully.

From "The Inquisitor's Tale" by Adam Gidwitz

Related Words

• destroy
• discard
• dump
• eliminate
• get rid of
• relinquish
• scrap
• sell
• unload