Put someone away ➡️🔒

Meaning

To send someone to prison or a mental institution.

Origin

This phrase likely sprang from the literal act of placing something valuable or dangerous out of sight, into a 'safe' or 'secure' place. Prisons served as containers to 'put away' disruptive individuals from society, much like storing away forbidden items. Similarly, mental institutions were seen as places to 'put away' those deemed unfit for public life. Over time, the meaning sharpened, specifically referencing incarceration or institutionalization, carrying a slightly ominous, definitive tone of finality.

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Put someone away represented with emoji➡️🔒

This delightful display playfully juxtaposes the arrow and the lock to serve as a potent visual metaphor for confinement or resolution. It invites us to consider the ambiguous space between a directive action and its ultimate consequence, hinting at the way decisions can irrevocably lead to a state of being shut away. Note how the familiar symbols are recontextualized to evoke a sense of both finality and a narrative journey.

Examples

  • The detective vowed to put the criminal away for good.
  • After repeated offenses, the judge decided to put him away.
  • If you keep drawing on the walls with permanent marker, I might have to put you away in the colorful-crayon timeout corner.
  • The mischievous ghost threatened to put the overly-curious cat away in the attic with the dusty hat collection.

Frequently asked questions

Is 'put someone away' a formal or informal expression?

'Put someone away' is a highly informal idiom. It's typically used in casual conversation to refer to the act of incarcerating someone, often with a tone of finality or even aggression.

What's the opposite of 'put someone away'?

The opposite of 'put someone away' would be to release someone from confinement, such as 'let someone go' or 'set someone free.' These phrases imply the removal of restrictions rather than the imposition of them.

Does 'put someone away' only refer to prison?

While most commonly associated with prison, 'put someone away' can also refer to sending someone to a mental institution. The underlying idea is removing someone from general society and placing them in a controlled environment.

Can 'put someone away' be used for children?

Yes, although it's a harsh and uncommon usage, 'put someone away' could theoretically be used to describe sending a child to a reformatory or boarding school if the intent is to permanently remove them from a family situation.

Similar to "put someone away"

Commit someone
Both phrases talk about confining someone, but 'commit someone' often carries a sense of medical necessity or legal obligation for care, hinting at a less punitive, though still restrictive, outcome than the bluntness of 'put someone away'
Lock someone up
Both phrases clearly mean to imprison someone. However, 'lock someone up' feels more informal and direct, emphasizing the act of physically securing someone behind bars in a way that 'put someone away' might imply a more bureaucratic or lengthy process
Intern someone
Both phrases involve sending someone to a controlled institutional environment. 'Intern someone' has a more clinical, often historical, and sometimes politically charged connotation, suggesting a targeted and perhaps less overtly criminal reason for confinement than 'put someone away'

Opposite of "put someone away"

Let someone off the hook
This phrase argues for absolution and freedom, directly opposing the confinement inherent in 'put someone away,' making the contrast stark between liberation and incarceration
Advocate for someone's release
This champions freedom and rehabilitation, a powerful counterpoint to the finality of 'put someone away,' highlighting the tension between permanent removal and the possibility of reintegration
Champion someone's cause
This phrase is all about bringing attention to and supporting someone's position or struggle, the antithesis of silencing and isolating them through institutionalization implied by 'put someone away'

Related to "put someone away"

Throw the book at someone
This phrase shares the context of legal consequences with 'put someone away,' but it specifically focuses on imposing the harshest possible punishment rather than the act of confinement itself
Do time
While 'put someone away' is about the action of confining, 'do time' describes the experience of the person being confined, orbiting the same grim reality of incarceration
Rehabilitate someone
This is the hopeful flip side to the often final act of 'putting someone away,' representing the goal that hopefully follows confinement or is an alternative to it
Behind bars
This is a direct descriptor of the state resulting from being 'put away,' painting a vivid picture of the physical location and confinement