put away
HighNeutral to informal (primary meaning). Formal registers used for specific meanings (e.g., legal 'confine').
Definition
Meaning
To place something in its designated storage place, out of sight.
To save/store for future use; to consume food or drink; to confine someone (e.g., to prison or a mental institution); to defeat an opponent or team; to disregard/abandon a thought.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
A highly polysemous phrasal verb whose specific meaning is highly dependent on context and its direct object. The core physical action ('store') is most frequent.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No major semantic differences. 'Put away' for 'consume' is slightly more informal/vivid in AmE. Both use it for imprisonment.
Connotations
The 'consume' meaning ("He can really put away the pints!") often carries a connotation of impressive or surprising quantity.
Frequency
Equally frequent in both dialects for the core meaning.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
Subject + put + Object (thing) + awaySubject + put + away + Object (thing)Subject + put + Object (person) + away (imprison)Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Put away for a rainy day (save money)”
- “Put him away for life (sentence to life imprisonment)”
- “Put away your childish things (metaphorical: abandon immature behaviour).”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
"We need to put away 10% of profits into reserves." (Finance: save)
Academic
"The researcher put away the preliminary data, focusing on the final analysis." (set aside)
Everyday
"Can you put away your phone and listen?" / "I'll just put the shopping away."
Technical
Rare in technical contexts unless specific (e.g., legal: 'The defendant was put away.')
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- Please put away the biscuits in the tin.
- The old records were put away in the loft.
- The boxer was put away in the third round.
American English
- Put away the tools when you're done.
- He's putting away money for college.
- The jury put him away for twenty years.
adjective
British English
- She has a put-away look about her today. (rare, poetic: looking reserved/distant)
Examples
By CEFR Level
- Put your toys away, please.
- I put the milk away in the fridge.
- She puts her clothes away every evening.
- You should put some money away each month.
- After dinner, we put away the leftovers.
- It's time to put away the holiday decorations.
- The champion put away his challenger with a swift knockout.
- He managed to put away three pints in under an hour.
- She tried to put away her doubts and focus on the task.
- The damning evidence was enough to put the corrupt official away for a decade.
- Having put away childish pursuits, he devoted himself to his studies.
- The fund allows you to put away pre-tax income for retirement.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a tidy house: you PUT things AWAY in cupboards, drawers, or savings accounts to make clutter 'go away'.
Conceptual Metaphor
FUTURE IS A STORAGE SPACE (saving money); MIND IS A CONTAINER (put away thoughts); DEFEAT IS IMPRISONMENT (put away a team).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Do not translate literally as "положить прочь." The equivalent is usually "убирать(ся)" (to tidy).
- The 'consume' meaning ("put away a pizza") is idiomatic; use "умять" or "съесть/выпить" in Russian.
- The 'imprison' meaning is "посадить в тюрьму," not a direct calque.
Common Mistakes
- *I put away it. (Incorrect: must separate: I put it away.)
- Confusing with 'put aside' (which implies temporary deferral, not permanent storage).
- Using 'put away' for 'throw away' (dispose of).
Practice
Quiz
In the sentence 'The prosecutor vowed to put him away,' what does 'put away' mean?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, it is a separable phrasal verb. You must say 'put the book away' or 'put away the book.' With a pronoun, you must separate: 'put it away' (NOT 'put away it').
'Put away' means to store for later use. 'Throw away' (or 'throw out') means to dispose of, to get rid of permanently. Confusing them could lead to losing something valuable!
Yes, but only with specific meanings. It can mean to send someone to prison or a mental institution ("They put him away for theft"). It is informal and can be insensitive in non-legal contexts.
For its core meaning (tidy/store), it is neutral and fine for everyday use. Meanings like 'imprison' or 'consume a lot' are more informal. In formal financial writing, 'deposit' or 'save' might be preferred over 'put away money.'
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