put away
Britishverb
-
to return (something) to the correct or proper place
he put away his books
-
to save
to put away money for the future
-
to lock up in a prison, mental institution, etc
they put him away for twenty years
-
to eat or drink, esp in large amounts
-
to put to death, because of old age or illness
the dog had to be put away
-
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.
-
Renounce, discard, as in Put away all those negative thoughts . [Late 1300s]
-
Consume quickly, ingest readily, as in He put away his dinner in just a few minutes . [ Colloquial ; late 1800s]
-
Confine to a mental health facility, as in The doctor said we had to put her away . [ Colloquial ; late 1800s]
-
Kill, as in The vet put our old cat away . [ Colloquial ; late 1500s]
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.
In addition to pouring money into his business, he’s making sure to put away enough funds for retirement, and he’s saving on housing costs by living with his parents.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 16, 2026
“I really hope this does something in the Hollywood psyche, where they go, ‘Let’s put away the remakes and let’s just get after new challenging, original material.’
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 15, 2026
In some of these plans, older higher-earners can put away as much as $397,000 a year, though younger and lower-paid people have lower limits.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 26, 2026
Jasem found the runner in behind before the cross was put away.
From BBC ● Jul. 10, 2026
He reached over and yanked the bell cord, then nudged Nunu, who put away her picture book.
From "Eleven" by Tom Rogers
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.
