put away

British  

verb

1. to return (something) to the correct or proper place

   he put away his books

2. to save

   to put away money for the future

3. to lock up in a prison, mental institution, etc

   they put him away for twenty years

4. to eat or drink, esp in large amounts

5. to put to death, because of old age or illness

   the dog had to be put away

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put away Idioms  

1. Place in a designated spot for storage; also, place out of reach. For example, Please put away your clothes , or This young tennis player can really put away the ball . Also see set aside , def. 1.

2. Renounce, discard, as in Put away all those negative thoughts . [Late 1300s]

3. Consume quickly, ingest readily, as in He put away his dinner in just a few minutes . [ Colloquial ; late 1800s]

4. Confine to a mental health facility, as in The doctor said we had to put her away . [ Colloquial ; late 1800s]

5. Kill, as in The vet put our old cat away . [ Colloquial ; late 1500s]

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Example Sentences

Let’s say you want to have $6,000 put away by 2029.

From MarketWatch • May 19, 2026

“I think a lot more work needs to be done, but obviously it’s great to put away some people like that, that could do that to a young lady,” Zavala said.

From Los Angeles Times • May 2, 2026

City were struggling to put away their chances and with no wins in four consecutive league games, Guardiola shook things up by looking for security in midfield and goals from the attackers, rather than midfielders.

From BBC • Apr. 25, 2026

Even if parents can’t make monthly contributions, if the account exists, they can put away money “at any time and get other people also contributing,” Messinger said.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 9, 2026

“Miss Lumley, shall we put away the treasures first?”

From "The Interrupted Tale" by Maryrose Wood

Related Words

• polish off
• put down