dispose of
Idioms-
Attend to, settle, deal with, as in He quickly disposed of the problem . [Early 1600s]
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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]
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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]
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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]
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.
Approved licences allow the holder to either transport waste, buy, sell or dispose of it, or arrange to do so on behalf of someone else.
From BBC • May 18, 2026
They break down proteins, nucleic acids, carbohydrates, and lipids, helping cells dispose of waste and reuse materials for essential biological processes.
From Science Daily • May 12, 2026
They could dispose of them as they wished.
From Salon • Apr. 17, 2026
RBI said it would dispose of the bank’s subsidiaries in Serbia, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Montenegro.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 10, 2026
Now, while she was listening for the doorbell, she made a final tour, pausing to dispose of a speck of lint or alter an arrangement of Christmas poinsettias.
From "In Cold Blood" by Truman Capote
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.
