1 B2 neutral
To steal something and escape with it successfully.
"The burglars made away with jewelry worth over fifty thousand pounds."
inseparable
make away with
B2 neutral inseparable transitive
To steal something and escape with it; or (formal/archaic) to kill someone or to destroy something.
In plain English
To take something that doesn't belong to you and run away with it — basically to steal and escape.
What does "make away with" mean?
2 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 C1 idiomatic formal
(Formal/archaic) To kill a person; to do away with someone.
"The villain had made away with the witness before the trial could begin."
inseparable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
'Make away' (to flee) + 'with' (in possession of something). The combined meaning of fleeing while taking something is fairly transparent.
Actually means
To take something that doesn't belong to you and run away with it — basically to steal and escape.
Usage tip
The 'theft' sense is the most commonly encountered in modern English and appears frequently in news writing and storytelling. The 'kill/destroy' sense is archaic and mainly found in older literature. Note the important difference from 'get away with,' which is about escaping consequences rather than stealing.
Words that pair with "make away with"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
jewels cash valuables documents evidence the loot
How to conjugate "make away with"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
make away with
I/you/we/they
3rd person
makes away with
he/she/it
Past simple
made away with
yesterday
Past participle
made away with
have + pp
-ing form
making away with
continuous
Hear "make away with" in the wild
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Other ways to say "make away with"
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