takeaway

American  

[teyk-uh-wey] / ˈteɪk əˌweɪ /

Or take-away

noun

• takeaways
  plural

1. something taken back or away, especially an employee benefit that is eliminated or substantially reduced by the terms of a union contract.

2. conclusions, impressions, or action points resulting from a meeting, discussion, roundtable, or the like.

   The takeaway was that we had to do a lot more work on the proposal before it could be shown to the governing board.

3. Chiefly British.

   1. a takeout restaurant.

      Let's pick something up at the Indian takeaway.

   2. food from a takeout restaurant.

      I get Chinese takeaway at least once a week.

4. Sports.

   1. (in hockey and football) the act of getting the puck or ball away from the team on the offense.

      The problem with most hockey statistics is they are not very consistent in how they determine takeaways and giveaways.

   2. (in golf) a backswing.

      I got him a video entitled “Improving the Takeaway in Your Golf Swing” for his birthday.

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adjective

1. of or relating to what is or can be taken away.

   a list of takeaway proposals presented by management.

2. Chiefly British. takeout.

Usage

What does takeaway mean? Takeaway is popularly used to mean the main thing you’ve learned, will remember, or need to take action on after having been presented with information, such as during a meeting or in a report. Take away is a common phrasal verb that’s used in a lot of contexts, and takeaway as a noun has a lot of different meanings. It’s sometimes spelled take-away. In the U. K., takeaway is the word for what Americans call takeout—food picked up from a restaurant to eat elsewhere, typically at home. It can also refer to the restaurant where you get it. In hockey and American football, a takeaway happens when the puck or ball is somehow taken away from the opposing team. Example: The biggest takeaway from the intern meeting was to not post pictures or videos on social media that could reflect badly on the company.

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• takeaways
  plural

Etymology

Origin of takeaway

1930–35 for earlier sense “train car for carrying logs”; 1960–65 takeaway for def. 5; take + away

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

takeaway takeaways

"One of my takeaway conclusions from the Science paper was that many Greenland sharks have parasites attached to their eyes -- which could impair their vision," she says.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 23, 2026

The most important takeaway at this juncture is that she can apply outside the normal open-enrollment period, given that she lost her job.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 22, 2026

The takeaway is that European luxury brands have to make difficult decisions to cut prices if they want to win back shoppers.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 17, 2026

Lange: My takeaway from working with Fabi is the inspiration she provided in the studio.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 11, 2026

We sit down on opposite sides of a glass table piled high with papers, magazines and takeaway menus.

From "The Girl on the Train" by Paula Hawkins

Read Nick Timiraos’ other takeaways from Warsh’s address.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 28, 2026

When stuck for ideas about where to eat on a Friday night or torn between takeaways, more and more people are turning to social media and their favourite content creators for inspiration.

From BBC ● Aug. 25, 2026

A few takeaways: Companies are buckling up for a higher-yield environment; spreads—the amount a company pays above a benchmark Treasury—may widen; and those issuing debt may do so with shorter, cheaper, maturities.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 20, 2026

Here are key takeaways from the investigative report and recent court filings by lawyers representing fire victims:

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 20, 2026

People are cooking, eating takeaways in the streets.

From "Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood" by Trevor Noah

Related Words

• outcome
• result
• upshot