carry off

verb

carried off; carrying off; carries off

transitive verb

1
: to cause the death of
the plague carried off thousands
2
: to perform or manage successfully : bring off
tried to look suave but couldn't carry it off

Examples of carry off in a Sentence

the con artist would never have been able to carry off his schemes if it were not for the greed of his eager victims pray that the pestilence does not carry off any more souls than it already has
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The man’s vehicle was carried off a bridge by floodwaters. Joseph Wilkinson, New York Daily News, 6 Nov. 2024 Before the night was out, Germans began chipping away at the barrier, carrying off chunks of one of the symbols of the diminishing Iron Curtain. Lorenzino Estrada, The Arizona Republic, 21 Nov. 2024 Downey carries off McNeal’s charm well — courting applause when McNeal delivers showboating, professorial tirades about Shakespeare and Saul Bellow — but struggles to downshift into subtlety. Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 30 Sep. 2024 After a delay of over 20 minutes, Gomes was strapped to a stretcher and carried off the pitch by medical staff with Lille later confirming that the player had regained consciousness and was in hospital. Peter Rutzler, The Athletic, 17 Aug. 2024 See all Example Sentences for carry off 

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1640, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of carry off was circa 1640

Dictionary Entries Near carry off

Cite this Entry

“Carry off.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/carry%20off. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on carry off

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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