make off

verb

made off; making off; makes off

intransitive verb

: to leave in haste
Phrases
make off with
: to take away
especially : grab, steal

Examples of make off in a Sentence

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.
Once inside, the gang smashed two display cases and made off with several jewels before speeding away on motorbikes. Barney Henderson, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Oct. 2025 Thieves scaled the facade of the Parisian museum in broad daylight Sunday, using a ladder boosted by a mechanical boom truck and forcing a window open, smashing display cases inside, and making off with a handful of priceless jewels, PEOPLE previously reported. Sean Neumann, PEOPLE, 20 Oct. 2025 And in May 1998, a thief made off with a 19th-century landscape by the French painter Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot. NPR, 20 Oct. 2025 According to reports, the group made off with jewels once belonging to Napoleon III’s court, including pieces from Empress Eugénie’s personal collection. Emma Bussey, FOXNews.com, 20 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for make off

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1680, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of make off was circa 1680

Cite this Entry

“Make off.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/make%20off. Accessed 23 Oct. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on make off

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