1 B2 idiomatic neutral
To steal something and flee with it.
"Thieves broke into the gallery and made off with three paintings valued at over a million pounds."
inseparable
make off with
B2 neutral inseparable transitive
To steal or take something and leave quickly with it.
In plain English
Steal something and run away with it.
What does "make off with" mean?
2 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 B2 idiomatic informal
To take something that does not belong to you and leave before being noticed.
"Someone made off with my umbrella from the stand near the entrance."
inseparable
Usage tip
Almost exclusively used in contexts of theft. Very common in police reports, news headlines, and crime fiction. The object always follows 'with'.
Words that pair with "make off with"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
cash jewellery valuables laptop bags money
How to conjugate "make off with"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
make off with
I/you/we/they
3rd person
makes off with
he/she/it
Past simple
made off with
yesterday
Past participle
made off with
have + pp
-ing form
making off with
continuous
Hear "make off with" in the wild
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Other ways to say "make off with"
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