Meaning & use
put away for good
Last updated
Meanings
phrasephrasal verbinformal
To send someone to prison for a very long time or permanently, often with no hope of release.
Grammar: Takes an object: put someone away for good. The object goes between 'put' and 'away'.
Patterns
- put someone away for good
- put someone away for life
The judge put the dangerous criminal away for good.
After his third serious offense, they put him away for good.
The gang leader was put away for good at the age of forty.
phrasephrasal verb
To remove something permanently so that it is no longer available or seen.
Grammar: Takes an object: put something away for good. The object usually goes between 'put' and 'away'.
Patterns
- put something away for good
- put something away for the last time
She put her wedding dress away for good after the divorce.
He put his old guitar away for good and never played again.
They put the Christmas decorations away for good when they moved.
phrasephrasal verb
To stop doing or using something permanently; to give something up forever.
Grammar: Takes an object: put something away for good. Often used with habits, sports, or tools.
Patterns
- put something away for good
After the injury, the athlete put his running shoes away for good.
She put her smoking habit away for good last year.
It's time to put those childish games away for good.
Common combinations
- put away for good
- The police finally put the thief away for good.
- put someone away for life
- The murderer was put away for life without parole.
- put something away for good
- He put his old records away for good in the attic.
- be put away for good
- She was put away for good after the trial.
- put away forever
- They put the old family photos away forever.
Synonyms and how they differ
- lock up
- Means to put someone in prison, but does not necessarily suggest permanence; 'lock up for good' is stronger and more final.
- imprison
- A formal word meaning to put someone in prison; it does not include the idea of 'forever' unless you add 'for life' or 'permanently'.
- incarcerate
- A technical or legal term for putting someone in prison; it is neutral and does not carry the emotional force of 'for good'.
- jail
- A general verb meaning to put someone in jail, often for a short time; 'put away for good' suggests a much longer or permanent stay.
Opposites
Word family
- put away phrasal verb
- To put something in its proper place, or to send someone to prison.
- put by phrasal verb
- To save money for later use.
- put down phrasal verb
- To stop holding something, or to criticize someone.
- put off phrasal verb
- To delay something, or to discourage someone.
- put out phrasal verb
- To extinguish a fire or light, or to annoy someone.
Commonly confused: put away for good or put off for good? put away for good or put away for life?
put away for good vs put off for good
'Put off' means to delay or postpone, so 'put off for good' would mean to delay forever, which is different from sending someone to prison permanently.
put away for good vs put away for life
'For life' means for the rest of the person's life, while 'for good' means permanently or forever; in practice they are similar, but 'for life' is more specific to a prison sentence.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'put away for good' correctly?
Choose one answer.
The object 'the criminal' goes between 'put' and 'away', so 'put the criminal away for good' is correct. Option 0 is also grammatical in some contexts but less natural; option 2 and 3 are ungrammatical because 'for good' cannot split the phrasal verb or come before the object.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “put away for good”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.