Do away with means get rid of something or abolish it: the club did away with the old membership requirement. It's most often about rules, systems and unnecessary steps: a shared calendar does away with the need for reminder calls. With a person, the meaning turns dark: do away with someone means kill them.
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do away with a rule / system / need; did away with; done away with
- The new booking system does away with paper tickets.
- The club did away with the old membership requirement.
- A shared calendar can do away with the need for reminder calls.
What changed
First versionThey have done away the extra form.
RevisionThey have done away with the extra form.
Abolish, remove and cancel take their object directly, so with gets lost: done away the form. But the expression needs all three parts, and the object comes after with: done away with the extra form.
Do without means manage without something: we can do without a car. Do away with means remove it for good: the city did away with paper tickets. Phase out is the same idea, but gradually, step by step.
Your turn
Choose the form after have: We have ___ away with the duplicate paperwork.
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done — After have you need the third form done: have done away with. Did is the simple past and doesn't go with have.
Describe a rule or extra step that was dropped at your work, school or in your city.
The library did away with printed renewal forms and introduced a single online request.
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