DictionaryspiritSecret removal
verb

spirit

To carry away secretly or mysteriously.

The rescuers spirit the witness away before dawn.

Etymology

The verb evokes the mysterious action attributed to spirits. To spirit something away is to remove it so discreetly that it seems to vanish.

More examples

  • Someone had spirited the documents out of the office.
  • They spirited the injured explorer to a safer camp.
  • The family was quietly spiriting its valuables across the border.

Forms

spirit · spirits · spirited · spiriting

Similar words

smuggle
Emphasizes secret movement past rules or controls.
whisk
Suggests swift removal without necessarily secrecy.