What does the phrasal verb “take away” mean?

What are the definitions of “take away”?

Learn how to use these expressions through these examples

• 1. Remove.

  The police TOOK the protestors AWAY.

What’s the most common meaning of the phrasal verb “take away”?

The most common meaning of the phrasal verb take away is to remove something or someone from a place. For example, it can mean taking a person away from a location, or removing an object from its current position.

What are the different verb forms of “take away”?

Root Verb	take away
Third Person Singular Present	takes away
Present Participle	taking away
Simple Past	took away
Past Participle	taken away

Example

Please take away the dirty dishes from the table.

Example

She takes away the toys after the children finish playing.

Example

He is taking away the old furniture to make room for the new one.

Example

Yesterday, they took away the broken equipment from the office.

Example

The old car was taken away to the junkyard.

What kind of phrasal verb is “take away”?

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Notes from a Native English Speaker

What is a transitive and intransitive verb?
- A transitive verb always has an object after it. (Example: Sam bought a car.)
- An intransitive verb never has an object.(Example: She laughed loudly.)

Transitive verb

“take away” is a transitive phrasal verb because it requires a direct object to complete its meaning. The direct object specifies what is being removed, obtained, or eliminated.

Example

The teacher took away the student's phone.

Example

He took the toy away from the child.

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Notes from a Native English Speaker

What is a separable and inseparable phrasal verb?
- A “separable phrasal verb” can be separated with an object between the verb and particle.
- An “inseparable phrasal verb” cannot be separated by an object.

Inseparable

“take away” is an inseparable phrasal verb. This means that you can’t place an object between the verb and the particle, otherwise, it changes the meaning of the phrasal verb.

Example

The teacher took away the student's phone.

Example

He took the toy away from the child.

What are common phrases and expressions that include the phrasal verb “take away”?

Take away (food)

Prepared food from a restaurant meant to be consumed off the premises, for takeaway or delivery.

Example

We decided to get take away pizza for dinner tonight.

Take away (a lesson or message)

To learn or understand something from an experience or situation.

Example

The most important take away from the meeting was the need for better communication.

Take away (subtract)

To subtract one number from another.

Example

If you take away 5 from 10, you get 5.

Good things to know

Does “take away” have an informal or formal tone?

Take away is a neutral phrasal verb that can be used in both informal and formal contexts. It is commonly used in everyday conversations and can also be used in more formal settings, depending on the specific context.

What are synonyms of antonyms to the phrasal verb “take away”?

Synonyms

• remove
• eliminate
• subtract
• withdraw
• clear
• extract
• banish
• confiscate
• erase

Antonyms

• include
• insert
• keep
• place
• put
• restore
• return
• add
• bring