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💋 To have sex 🕵️ To steal
to have it away

to have it away

9.9
To secretly steal something
  • phrasal verb
  • /hæv ɪt əˈweɪ/
  • UK
translation icon : robar
  • The thieves had it away with a dozen laptops during the night.

Examples

  • I can't believe someone had it away with my bike from outside the shop.

  • Before anyone noticed, the kids had it away with the leftover cake.

  • Don't have it away from my bag!

  • Why did he have it away from the shop?

  • The thieves had it away with a dozen laptops during the night.

  • I can't believe someone had it away with my bike from outside the shop.

  • Before anyone noticed, the kids had it away with the leftover cake.

Synonyms

to steal
vsto have it away
∞ 1.0

Take something that does not belong to you without permission

is the British informal phrase emphasizing secret and dishonest taking
to rip off
vsto have it away
  • Informal
79 6.3

To steal something quickly without the owner knowing

is the British informal phrase stressing secret dishonesty rather than speed
to pick
vsto have it away
58 8.4

To steal small things from someone's pocket or bag

is the British informal form used more generally not only for pocket theft
to run off with
vsto have it away
50 5.4

To leave quickly with something stolen or taken without permission

is the British informal phrase focusing on taking rather than escaping away
to relieve
vsto have it away
8 8.4

Steal something from someone in a secret way

is the British informal phrase that is less formal and more colloquial
to knock off
vsto have it away
  • Slang
7 8.4

Steal things, for example electronics or cars

is the British informal phrase rather than coarse slang
to walk off
vsto have it away
  • Informal
6 7.5

To take something that is not yours and carry it away without asking

is the British informal term focusing on secret or dishonest taking
to purloin
vsto have it away
4 9.6

To steal something secretly or dishonestly

is the informal British form while this is more formal
to snitch
vsto have it away
  • Archaic
2 8.0

To steal something quickly and secretly

is the British informal phrase more tied to secret or dishonest taking

Antonyms

return
231 1.0

An act of giving something back to its owner

How Serious

to hold up
  • NSFW
28 5.8
to rob
696 1.2
to have it away
  • UK
9.9
to steal
∞ 1.0

Surface Forms

have it away infinitive
had it away past
had it away past participle
having it away present participle
has it away third person singular

Morphology

have + it + away

The phrase combines 'have' (possess) with 'away' (movement/removal), so a learner might infer a sense of taking or removal, giving some cue to its meaning. However, the specific sense 'to steal' with a surreptitious/dishonest nuance and its regional/informal usage in British English are not fully predictable from the parts, so a B1 learner who knows the words would likely not reliably infer the exact idiomatic meaning without exposure.

Etymology

Have it away may come from the image of someone quickly grabbing a thing and walking away with it, so they have it and leave. That's why it is used to mean 'to steal'.