Meanings
present singular third person takes away · participle present taking away · past took away · participle past taken away
- To remove something and put it in a different place.
Mother took our plates away and came back with some fruit for us to eat.
- To remove something, either material or abstract, so that a person no longer has it.
The doctor gave me pills to take away the pain.
2 more examples
The teacher took my mobile phone away until the end of the lesson.
The new law will take away some important rights from immigrant residents.
- To remove a person, usually a family member or other close friend or acquaintance, by kidnapping or killing the person.
The mother of the murdered man spoke directly to the man who took away her son, then addressed the judge, whom she trusted would impose the maximum sentence.
- To subtract or diminish something.
If I have five apples and you take away two, how many do I have left?
1 more example
But take nothing away from Arsenal, who were driven on by the brilliance of Van Persie and Fabregas and only prevented from being out of sight at half-time by the feats of Al Habsi.
2011 January 22, Ian Hughes, “Arsenal 3 - 0 Wigan”, in BBC Sport, archived from the original on 19 Mar 2011 - To leave a memory or impression in one's mind that you think about later.
I took away the impression that the play was under rehearsed.
1 more example
Which brings us to what I took away as the main point of the lecture
1987 February 8, Ann Fry, “On Pre-Meditated Sex vs. Making Love”, in Gay Community News, volume 14, number 29, page 7 - To make someone leave a place and go somewhere else. Usually not with the person's consent.
The police took him away for questioning.
1 more example
I'm taking you away to the country for a rest. It's for your own good!
- To prevent, or limit, someone from being somewhere, or from doing something.
My job takes me away from home most weekends.
1 more example
Using the internet so much can take you away from your studies.
Synonyms & antonyms
To remove something, either material or abstract, so that a person no longer has it.
verbremove from a certain place, environment, or mental or emotional state; transport into a new location or state
verbremove something concrete, as by lifting, pushing, or taking off, or remove something abstract
verbbuy and consume food from a restaurant or establishment that sells prepared food
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Translations
Ancient Greek ἀφαιρέω
- ἀφαιρέω (aphairéō)to remove something, either material or abstract, so that a person no longer has it
Finnish viedä, ottaa pois
- viedäto remove something and put it in a different place
- ottaa poisto remove something and put it in a different place
- ottaato remove something and put it in a different place
- ottaato subtract or diminish something
- ottaa poisto subtract or diminish something
- riistääto subtract or diminish something
- saadato leave a memory or impression in one's mind that you think about later
- viedä poisto make someone leave a place and go somewhere else
- viedäto make someone leave a place and go somewhere else
- pitää loitollato prevent, or limit, someone from being somewhere, or from doing something
- ottaato remove something, either material or abstract, so that a person no longer has it
- viedäto remove something, either material or abstract, so that a person no longer has it
French retirer
- retirerto remove something, either material or abstract, so that a person no longer has it
German wegnehmen
- wegnehmento remove something, either material or abstract, so that a person no longer has it
Italian togliere
- togliereto remove something, either material or abstract, so that a person no longer has it
Latin auferō, adimō
- auferōto remove something and put it in a different place
- adimōto remove something, either material or abstract, so that a person no longer has it
Polish zabrać, zabierać
- zabraćto remove something and put it in a different place
- zabieraćto remove something and put it in a different place
- wynieśćto leave a memory or impression in one's mind that you think about later
- zabraćto make someone leave a place and go somewhere else
- zabraćto remove something, either material or abstract, so that a person no longer has it
- odebraćto remove something, either material or abstract, so that a person no longer has it
Portuguese levar embora, retirar
- levar emborato remove something and put it in a different place
- retirarto remove something and put it in a different place
- recolherto remove something and put it in a different place
- tirarto subtract or diminish something
- tirar forato subtract or diminish something
- retirarto subtract or diminish something
- ficar comto leave a memory or impression in one's mind that you think about later
- conduzirto make someone leave a place and go somewhere else
- levarto make someone leave a place and go somewhere else
- retirarto make someone leave a place and go somewhere else
- afastarto prevent, or limit, someone from being somewhere, or from doing something
- retirarto remove something, either material or abstract, so that a person no longer has it
Spanish quitar
- quitarto remove something, either material or abstract, so that a person no longer has it
Turkish götürmek, almak
- götürmekto remove something and put it in a different place
- almakto remove something, either material or abstract, so that a person no longer has it
- götürmekto remove something, either material or abstract, so that a person no longer has it
Vietnamese lấy đi, mang đi
- lấy đito remove something and put it in a different place
- mang đito remove something and put it in a different place
- đem đito remove something and put it in a different place
- rút kinh nghiệmto leave a memory or impression in one's mind that you think about later
- rút rato leave a memory or impression in one's mind that you think about later
- lấy đito remove something, either material or abstract, so that a person no longer has it
- tước đito remove something, either material or abstract, so that a person no longer has it
Cite this entry
take away. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/take%20away
“take away.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/take%20away. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “take away,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/take%20away.
Source: take away on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.