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.
The ESA says a deposit would have to be large enough to incentivise people to dispose of vapes properly.
From BBC • Jun. 1, 2026
“One of my heirs will have to dispose of it because I’m never selling it,” he said.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 31, 2026
This system helps cells correctly build, maintain, and dispose of proteins.
From Science Daily • May 29, 2026
Among the first issues to be addressed is how to dispose of Iran's stocks of enriched uranium.
From Barron's • May 28, 2026
After a day of this, I opened it to dispose of the stuff at a roadside garbage can and found the most thoroughly mixed and kneaded garbage I have ever seen.
From "Travels with Charley in Search of America" by John Steinbeck
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.
