Make off means to leave quickly, usually after doing something wrong. Make off with something means to take it away with you, to steal it. People say this about thieves, and jokingly about children, dogs and seagulls.
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make off (with + thing); make off + down/towards + place; made off (past)
- Two teenagers grabbed a box of chocolates and made off down the street.
- Someone made off with my bike while I was buying coffee.
- A seagull made off with my sandwich before I could take a bite.
What changed
First versionWhile we were swimming, someone made off our bags.
RevisionWhile we were swimming, someone made off with our bags.
Make off on its own just means “escape”. To say what was taken, you need with: make off with something. With verbs like take or steal, the object follows directly, so with is easy to lose.
Don't confuse it with make out, meaning “see” or “manage to read”: I couldn't make out the number in the dark. Make off is always about moving away, usually in a hurry. Run away simply means to run off, without the idea of taking anything: The dog ran away.
Your turn
The thief grabbed a laptop from the café table and ___ before anyone could stop him.
Show the answer
made off — The thief grabbed a laptop and escaped, so made off. Made out means “saw” or “managed to read”, and nobody is trying to see anything here.
Describe a funny or annoying time when a person or animal ran off with something of yours. Say what it was and where it happened.
At a picnic in the park, a dog made off with my sandwich while I was opening a drink.
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