Phrasal verb
cart off
Definition
phrasal verb. to take someone or something away, often by force or in a rough way.
phrasal verb. to remove someone or something forcibly or unceremoniously, typically to a place of detention, disposal, or storage.
Examples
“The police carted off the protesters in a van.”
“After the party ended, the cleaners carted off bags of trash and broken furniture.”
“The historical artifacts were carted off to a secure warehouse while the museum underwent extensive structural renovations.”
Examples
simple
“The police carted off the protesters in a van.”
contextual
“After the party ended, the cleaners carted off bags of trash and broken furniture.”
complex
“The historical artifacts were carted off to a secure warehouse while the museum underwent extensive structural renovations.”
Usage
often used when the removal feels sudden, forceful, or disrespectful.
Teaching tip
the verb 'cart' suggests moving something heavy or bulky as if in a cart; it is more informal and vivid than 'remove' or 'take away'.
Pitfall
They carted off him to jail.
They carted him off to jail.
when the object is a pronoun, it must go between the verb and the particle.
Phrasal verb
Particles
off
Separability
optional
Pattern
cart + object + off