stow away
Idioms-
Put aside or store something until needed, as in We generally stow away the lawn furniture in the toolshed . [Late 1700s]
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Hide oneself aboard ship or in a vehicle in order to get free transportation, as in The youngsters planned to stow away on a freighter but they never even got to the waterfront . This usage gave rise to the noun stowaway . [Mid-1800s]
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Greedily consume food or drink, as in Bob sure can stow away a lot in a short time . [ Colloquial ; mid-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.
He credits living frugally in all aspects of his life with allowing him to stow away enough savings to retire at age 55.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 10, 2026
An impending heatwave has threatened to stow away — or rather, further preserve — countless tins of anchovies.
From Salon ● May 28, 2026
The change makes γ-TuRC stow away one of its 14 tubulins, effectively matching the design of the microtubule that needs only 13 rows.
From Science Daily ● Feb. 1, 2024
He’s managed to stow away some money but had to dip into his savings to fix the roof on his house.
From Seattle Times ● Nov. 1, 2023
“So how in the world did you get here? Did you stow away on some ship in the middle of the night?”
From "The Marvels" by Brian Selznick
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
