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to take off

to take off

217 3.1
To remove an amount from a total
  • phrasal verb
  • /teɪk ɔf/
translation icon : restar
  • So I'm going to use some powder and take off a lot of this excess shine.
  • take off points

And once it is too much, just take some off and that.

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Examples

  • To calculate the final price, please take off 10% from the total amount.

  • The mechanic said he could take off the cost of the repairs from my bill.

  • Add a little, take a little off, find the sweet spot.

  • OK, well, we got to take this off and I will be right back.

  • I think we have to take off the front.

  • Ah, we are going to take some off.

  • Headquarters called to take two off.

  • So I need to just take off the shield here.

  • You got money, we'd be happy to take it off you.

  • Lilly, making up her mind, crosses to the picture and takes it off the wall.

    Fiction book (1990)

Synonyms

to deduct
vsto take off
57 3.9

Take an amount from a total, usually money

is used more broadly for subtracting amounts beyond finance
to subtract
vsto take off
56 1.6

To take one number away from another

focuses on removing an amount from a total rather than money cases
to subduct
vsto take off
8.2

To take an amount away from a total

focuses on removing an amount from a total rather than money cases

Antonyms

934 1.0

Put numbers or amounts together to find their total

How Much

to mark down
6 2.5
to discount
36 1.7
to knock off
12 4.3
to take off
217 3.1

Surface Forms

take off infinitive
taking off present participle
takes off third person singular
took off past
taken off past participle

Morphology

take + off

The sense 'to become successful or popular' is a metaphorical extension of the literal 'take' + 'off' idea of departing or launching (as with a plane or a product), so there is a recognizable link to the constituent meanings. However, this extended, idiomatic sense is not fully predictable from the parts for an average B1 learner without prior exposure, making the expression only partially transparent.

Etymology

Take off in money or totals comes from the idea of removing an amount from a pile or bill. If you take $5 off the total, you have 'taken off' that amount, so it means 'to subtract' an amount.