throw away the key
To never release someone (e.g., from prison).
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“The judge sentenced him to life and threw away the key.”
“The jury found the criminal guilty of such a terrible crime that the judge decided to throw away the key.”
“After the defendant was convicted of the heinous act, the court ensured he would remain incarcerated forever by effectively throwing away the key.”
An ellipsis of the fuller phrase "lock someone up and throw away the key," denoting a permanent state of incarceration. The construction assumes the finality of a lock that can no longer be operated.
- 01
away game
An athletic contest played away from the team's home field.
- 02
away with the fairies
Not all there; slightly crazy.
- 03
bang away
to strike or hit repeatedly
- 04
bear away the bell
To be superior in something.
- 05
beaver away
To work hard at a task.
- 06
blaze away
To fire (firearms) repeatedly.
- 07
blow away
To kill (someone) by shooting them with a firearm.
- 08
blow the cobwebs away
To make changes for space for new fresh ideas
Last updated August 10, 2026