carry off

carry off idiom
  1. Handle successfully, win, as in It was a difficult situation, but he managed to carry it off gracefully, or They carried off first prize. [First half of 1800s]
  2. Cause the death of someone, as in The new African virus carried off an entire village. This usage is less common today. [Late 1600s]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

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