wipe away
A2 neutral separable transitive
In simple words
To clean something up by wiping, or to make sad feelings or memories disappear.
Literal meaning: To move something away by wiping — fully transparent.
Meanings
1 A2 neutral
To remove tears, sweat, or a small mark from a surface by wiping with a cloth, finger, or tissue.
"She wiped away her tears and tried to smile for the camera."
"He wiped away a tear as he described the sacrifice of fallen soldiers."
— Widely reported paraphrase of Barack Obama at multiple memorial events, documented in US press coverage, 2009–2016
Grammar: separable
2 B1
idiomatic
neutral
To eliminate or erase something abstract such as a memory, feeling, or wrongdoing.
"No amount of money can wipe away the suffering they caused."
Grammar: separable
Usage notes
Common in both literal and emotional contexts. 'Wipe away tears' is a very common fixed collocation. Figurative use ('wipe away the past') is also established. The movement implied is gentle and directed.
Commonly used with
tears smudge trace memory stain marks
Forms
Base
wipe away
I/you/we/they
3rd person
wipes away
he/she/it
Past simple
wiped away
yesterday
Past participle
wiped away
have + pp
-ing form
wiping away
continuous
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