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to remove

to remove

1.5
To move something or someone away from a place
  • verb
  • /rɪˈmuːv/
translation icon : quitar
  • The manager decided to remove the outdated policies to improve efficiency.
  • remove items
  • remove barriers
  • remove nitrogen

Do you think Trump should have been removed from Twitter?

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Examples

  • Then at this point you remove the big piece of garlic.

  • Please remove your shoes before entering the house.

  • Then we might want to do things like remove this, this term.

  • OK, so this I can remove here.

  • And now we have to remove this section here.

  • Officer, you are to remove this woman.

  • So it's just yeah, I can remove this entire plate.

  • Today, cities such as New York are mandated to remove the paint that contains lead.

    Academic text (2012)
  • The officers suspected domestic violence and immediately removed Fernandez from the residence and placed him under arrest.

    Academic text (2017)
  • Then, in my late 30s, I had a surgery to remove my appendix.

Synonyms

to take
vsto remove
1.0

Remove something from a place or person

is broader, also used for ending someone's job or making ideas disappear
to rid of
vsto remove
3.0

To free someone from something harmful or unwanted

is broader, also applying to moving items and ending positions beyond freeing
to get rid of
vsto remove
1.6

To remove or throw away something you do not want

focuses on making unwanted things disappear, while key covers many other actions
to take off
vsto remove
1.5

To remove clothes or something from your body

is broader, used for many actions beyond clothing or detachable items
to take out
vsto remove
948 1.9

To remove something from a place or container

focuses on moving items out, while key covers many other ways of leaving
to let go
vsto remove
852 3.8

To stop employing someone so they lose their job

is broader, applying to any act of making things or people leave
to take away
vsto remove
795 2.3

To remove something from a place or reduce something important, for example a right

is the general action used for many kinds of moving, physical or abstract
to pull out
vsto remove
523 2.7

To take something out of a place, often with effort

is broader, covering many kinds of moving away beyond effortful extraction
to eliminate
vsto remove
  • NSFW
502 3.4

Remove or kill something completely so it is gone

is broader, used for moving people or ending roles, not only total erasure
to throw out
vsto remove
236 3.0

To force someone to leave a place, job, or group

is broader, also used for planned moving and making items disappear
to expel
vsto remove
194 5.0

Force someone to leave a place, such as a school or country, often by official order

is broader, covering voluntary leaving and nonofficial movements as well
to withdraw
vsto remove
159 3.5

To take money or things out of a place where they are kept

is broader, covering both forced moves and voluntary endings in many settings
to take it away
vsto remove
136 3.2

To remove something unwanted from a place

is broader, applying to many actions from moving objects to ending jobs
to clear out
vsto remove
91 3.1

Remove all things from a place so it becomes empty

is broader, used for moving items, ending jobs, or making ideas vanish
to do away with
vsto remove
88 3.7

Remove something so it is no longer used

is broader, applying to both physical moves and ending positions or uses
to disengage
vsto remove
82 5.3

To stop being part of or connected to something

is broader, including forced or complete departures and many other actions
to dismiss
vsto remove
70 3.3

To remove someone from their job

is broader, covering physical movement and many other ways to end roles
to purge
vsto remove
49 6.3

To remove unwanted substances, things, or people by cleaning

is broader, covering simple moves and job endings as well, not only harsh cleansing
to take down
vsto remove
46 3.0

To remove something that is fixed or standing, for example stage equipment

is broader, covering more actions including leaving places or ending positions
to pull off
vsto remove
41 2.7

To take something off from where it is attached

is broader, including nonforceful or abstract separations, not only physical action
to move out
vsto remove
36 2.8

To make someone or something leave a place

is broader, covering other kinds of making people or things leave besides vacating
to eject
vsto remove
32 4.2

Force someone to leave a place

is broader, including gentle removals and nonforceful endings as well
to depose
vsto remove
31 7.4

To remove a leader from office, often by force

is broader, applying to many acts beyond forcing leaders from power
to dispel
vsto remove
29 4.6

To make a feeling or idea go away

is used for both physical acts and for taking people from positions
to strip away
vsto remove
27 4.0

Remove an outside layer or covering from something to show what is under it

is broader, used for many single acts such as moving objects or ending jobs
to expunge
vsto remove
21 8.8

To remove all signs of something like a record or memory so it cannot be found

is broader, used for moving objects or ending roles, not only erasure
to sweep away
vsto remove
16 3.8

To get rid of something completely so it no longer exists

is broader, including partial moves and formal endings, not only total clearance
to detach
vsto remove
16 4.0

To come apart from something it is connected to

is broader, used for planned or forced departures as well as accidental separation
to disassociate
vsto remove
16 7.0

To end a connection with a person, group, or idea

is broader, covering physical departures and many kinds of ending ties
to dislodge
vsto remove
15 6.1

To force something or someone out of a place where they are stuck

is broader, covering many nonviolent or planned movements as well
to clean out
vsto remove
  • Informal
10 3.6

Remove people completely from a place or group because they are unwanted

is broader, applying to other forms of making things or people leave
to clear away
vsto remove
10 1.8

To take things away from a place to make it tidy

is broader, covering both job endings and physical clearing beyond tidying
to draw away
vsto remove
7 3.7

To pull something away from where it is, for example a bandage or curtain

is broader, also covering nonpull methods and abstract separations
to evacuate
vsto remove
5 5.0

To take out what is inside a container so it becomes empty

is broader, applying to many types of departures, not only emergency emptying
to cast off
vsto remove
3 4.8

To get rid of something you do not want or need

is broader, used for many formal and informal acts, not only discarding
to unattach
vsto remove
1 6.1

To separate something from what it is connected to

is broader, covering many acts including making people leave or ending jobs
to disembed
vsto remove
8.2

To take something out of the place or situation where it first came from

is broader, used for many physical and organizational moves beyond context shifts

Antonyms

480 3.2

To set up a machine or computer program so it works

60 3.0

To hold something inside so it does not escape

Phrasal Verbs

Get rid of a mark on clothes or other things by cleaning

How Complete

to eliminate
  • NSFW
502 3.4
to remove
1.5
to take away
795 2.3
move
167 1.0

Surface Forms

remove infinitive
removed past
removed past participle
removing present participle
removes third person singular

Morphology

remove = move (semi-transparent) = re + move

The connection to 'move' is visible, but modern English 're-' does not productively signal the common senses 'take away' or 'eliminate' for most learners.

Etymology

Remove comes from the parts re- meaning 'back' and move meaning 'to move', so it originally meant 'move back' or 'take away'. That's why to remove something is to take it away or to dismiss someone from a place or position.