to spirit off
1
9.4
- phrasal verb
- Given this administration's propensity for violence and deception, Elmo will likely be "disappeared," spirited off to some gulag or secret prison where he cannot tell his tale.
Examples
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In the dead of night, the treasure was spirited off to an unknown location.
-
In a dramatic setup, Carlos, stretched out on a Khartoum hospital operating table having a vasectomy reversed, was abruptly bundled up by French security officers and spirited off to Paris to stand trial for earlier crimes.
Academic text (2001) -
The magician spirited off the rabbit from the stage with a wave of his wand.
-
As the lights went out, the jewels were swiftly spirited off before anyone could notice.
Synonyms
24
4.4
To take a person to another place or to move someone's feelings suddenly
10
7.8
To take someone or something away quickly and secretly
6
8.7
To take someone or something away quickly and secretly, often in a mysterious way
How Secret
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly compositional: 'spirit' (to move someone secretly) plus the particle 'off' (away/remove) yields 'carry away or remove secretly', so a learner who knows both constituents can infer the MWE meaning. Although the verb 'spirit' is somewhat formal/less frequent, the phrasal-verb pattern is productive and follows standard English composition, supporting transparent interpretation.
Etymology
Spirit off shows a picture of a spirit as a ghost taking something off and carrying it away without being seen. That's why it means 'to carry away or remove quickly and secretly'.