If something takes away from an achievement , success , or quality, or takes something away from it, it makes it seem lower in value or worth than it should be.
take your breath away
to amaze and impress you
take one's breath away
If you say that something takes your breath away , you are emphasizing that it is extremely beautiful or surprising.
take someone's breath away
strike someone with awe ; thrill
give with one hand and take away with the other
to help someone in one way, but also do something which has the opposite effect, for example harming them or preventing them from achieving what they want
take away
1. phrasal verb
If you take something awayfrom someone, you remove it from them, so that they no longer possess it or have it with them.
They're going to take my citizenship away. [VERB noun PARTICLE]
'Give me the knife,' he said softly, 'or I'll take it away from you.' [V n P + from]
In prison they'd taken away his watch and everything he possessed. [VERBPARTICLE noun]
2. phrasal verb
If you take one number or amount awayfrom another, you subtract one number from the other.
Add up the bills for each month. Take this away from the income. [V n P + from]
3. phrasal verb
To take someone away means to bring them from their home to an institution such as a prison or hospital.
Two men claiming to be police officers called at the pastor's house and took himaway. [VERB noun PARTICLE]
They were taken away in a police bus. [VERB noun PARTICLE]
Soldiers took away four people, one of whom was later released. [VERBPARTICLE noun]
4. See also takeaway
More Synonyms of take away
See full dictionary entry for take
take away in British English
verb(tr, adverb)
1.
to deduct; subtract
take away four from nine to leave five
preposition
2.
minus
nine take away four is five
adjectivetakeaway British, Australian and New Zealand
3. (of food or drink)
sold for consumption away from the premises on which it is prepared
a takeaway meal
4.
preparing and selling food for consumption away from the premises
a takeaway Indian restaurant
nountakeaway British, Australian and New Zealand
5.
a shop or restaurant that sells such food
let's go to the Chinese takeaway
6.
a meal bought at such a shop or restaurant
we'll have a Chinese takeaway tonight to save cooking
7.
an important idea or fact to be remembered, usually one arising from a meeting or discussion
I think this was my biggest takeaway from the meeting
Also (for senses 3–6): (Scot) carry-out or (US and Canadian) takeout
take-away in American English
(ˈteɪkəˌweɪ), ˈtakeaˌway (ˈteɪkəˌweɪ)
Chiefly British
adjective
1.
takeout (sense 3)
noun
2.
takeout (sense 2)
3.
a restaurant, store, etc. that sells takeout food
Examples of 'take away' in a sentence
take away
We have no intention of taking away that asylum as it stands.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Yet that complexity is part of what the curators hope visitors will take away from the exhibition.
Smithsonian Mag (2017)
My heart was taken away from me.
The Sun (2016)
It can be earned again or it can be taken away by force.
Times, Sunday Times (2017)
My partner had lived with his daughter since she was four and was taken away from her mother.
The Sun (2016)
Some people have had that service there all their lives and then something so precious was taken away.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
IT'S crazy that we have to fight for funding only for it to be taken away by another hand in the housing benefits cuts.
The Sun (2016)
No one can take away the fact that he was'the first '.
Times, Sunday Times (2017)
DOES this Government really want to go down in history as the one that took away hundreds of years of press freedom?
The Sun (2017)
Then he was taken away in a police car.
The Sun (2012)
We are taking away the limitations of the number of channels.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
This is joy no one can take away.
Christianity Today (2000)
It might be time to take away another chair.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
Changes led to her feeling better while planning meals took away the desire to snack.
The Sun (2014)
Their weapons would then be taken away while police assessed whether it was safe to return them.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
The most difficult thing is how much time is taken away from your life.
The Sun (2010)
They gave with one hand and took away with the other.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
Another wonderful film taken away from an audience who could learn from it.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
Are we going to take away their right to vote?
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
The only things that are missing are what the police took away as part of their inquiry.
The Sun (2011)
One of the first acts of the coalition was to take away centrally imposed targets.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
Take away the number you chose.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
You take away food, find stick and beat dog until nearly dead.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
We are using ethanol from corn, but it is not taking away from our food.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
They were banned from taking away food and drink, pets or livestock.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
Paying the public sector over the odds increases wages in cheaper regions, taking away their competitive advantage.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
She said: 'Our high streets are suffering because huge shopping centres take away their trade.
The Sun (2011)
They would have their meal, but should bring with them a container of some kind to take away meals for those not able to come.
Edward Beauclerk Maurice THE LAST OF THE GENTLEMEN ADVENTURERS: Coming of Age in the Arctic (2004)
If you took away four of those guys and replaced them with Ukrainians, would they still be top?
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
My bet is that he took away correctly the amount of money he'd spent doing the place up, presumably it was his money not ours.
The Sun (2009)
In other languages
take away
British English: take away /teɪk əˈweɪ/ VERB
If you take something away from someone, you remove it from them.
If you don't like it, we'll take it away for free.
American English: take away
Arabic: يَأْخُذُ
Brazilian Portuguese: levar
Chinese: 拿走
Croatian: oduzeti
Czech: odebrat
Danish: fjerne
Dutch: weghalen
European Spanish: llevarse
Finnish: viedä
French: emporter
German: wegnehmen
Greek: αφαιρώ
Italian: portare via
Japanese: 運び去る
Korean: 제거하다
Norwegian: fjerne
Polish: zabrać
European Portuguese: levar
Romanian: a răpi
Russian: забирать
Latin American Spanish: quitar
Swedish: ta bort
Thai: เอาออกไป
Turkish: çıkarmak
Ukrainian: забирати
Vietnamese: mang đi
Chinese translation of 'take away'
take away
vt
(= remove) 拿走 (názǒu)
(= carry off) 带(帶)走 (dàizǒu)
(Math) 减(減)去 (jiǎnqù)
⇒ What's 35 take away 10?35减去10等于多少？ (Sānshíwǔ jiǎnqù shí děngyú duōshao?)
vi
to take away from (= detract from) 减(減)损(損) (jiǎnsǔn)
See take
All related terms of 'take away'
to take away from
( detract from ) 减(減)损(損) jiǎnsǔn
take up
( start : hobby, sport ) 开(開)始 kāishǐ
take to
( like ) 喜欢(歡)上 xǐhuan shang ⇒ I immediately took to Alan. → 我立刻喜欢上了艾伦。 Wǒ lìkè xǐhuan shang le Àilún.
take over
( business, country ) 接管 jiēguǎn
take out on
▶ to take one's anger/feelings out on sb 向某人发(發)泄(洩)怒气(氣)/情感 xiàng mǒurén fāxiè nùqì/qínggǎn
take out
( invite : person ) 邀请(請) yāoqǐng ⇒ He took her out for a meal. → 他邀请她出去吃饭。 Tā yāoqǐng tā chūqù chīfàn.
take on
( undertake : work, responsibility ) 承担(擔) chéngdān ⇒ Don't take on any more responsibilities. → 不要再承担更多的责任了。 Bùyào zài chéngdān gèng duō de zérèn le.
take off
( aircraft ) 起飞(飛) qǐfēi
take in
( deceive : person ) 蒙(矇)骗(騙) mēngpiàn ⇒ I wasn't going to be taken in by his charm. → 我不会被他的魅力所蒙骗。 Wǒ bùhuì bèi tā de mèilì suǒ mēngpiàn.