squirrel away

Idioms  

1. Hide or store, as in She squirreled away her savings in at least four different banks. This expression alludes to the squirrel's habit of hiding nuts and acorns in the ground. [First half of 1900s]

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Example Sentences

I squirrel away a small handful to snap into a fideo-style chicken soup.

From Salon • Jan. 11, 2026

Louis Lopez, an elevator mechanic in New York City, said he was so worried about the economy he had started to squirrel away cash under the mattress.

From BBC • Apr. 13, 2025

Governors don’t want to squirrel away so much that they’re not investing as much as they could in schools and safety.

From Washington Post • Jan. 5, 2023

Even as a student, he would squirrel away money from part-time jobs and use some of it to lavish his mother and grandmother with clothes.

From New York Times • Oct. 31, 2022

I know there’s nothing I can do about the dissolving tablet, but maybe, with practice, I can squirrel away both the capsule and the green pill.

From "Challenger Deep" by Neal Shusterman