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

The funds were frozen in special accounts until Friday, when owners gained the right to freely dispose of them.

From Barron's

The email notice, which was reviewed by The Times, instructed residents to remove any burnt cars from their lots as quickly as possible, since contractors cannot dispose of vehicles without possessing the title.

From Los Angeles Times

He said it cost him $40,000 to hire a private contractor to gather up and dispose of several dumpsters of busted-up concrete.

From Los Angeles Times

Safely disposing of excess prescription pills isn’t a simple matter.

From The Wall Street Journal

Adding to concerns was the fact that disposing of waste rock would take place within a protected water system.

From Barron's

Related Words

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