squirrel away
phrasal verb·1 sense·particle away
Meanings
Save bit by bit, hidden away
Why “away”? A person or thing is placed somewhere and kept there, often hidden or saved for later.
“He's been squirrelling away savings for years.”
“They squirrelled away coins in a jar.”
Test yourself
“He's been squirrelling away savings for years.” What does it mean?
Nearby in the meaning map
Sink In connects verbs by particle pattern, contrast pairs, and shared base verbs.
file away
Same away pattern: storage
Store in an organised system
hide away
Same away pattern: storage
Put something in a secret or private place
lock away
Same away pattern: storage
Secure inside something locked
put away
Same away pattern: storage
Return something to its proper place; Save money for later; Send someone to prison or a mental hospital
salt away
Same away pattern: storage
Save money discreetly for the future
stash away
Same away pattern: storage
Hide something in a safe place
store away
Same away pattern: storage
Keep in storage for the future
stow away
Same away pattern: storage
Hide on a ship or plane to travel without paying
Sink In — iOS & Android
Practice “squirrel away” in Sink In
Drill “squirrel away” and 1,300+ other phrasal verbs with spaced repetition, organised by the particle patterns that connect them.
- Learn the pattern behind dozens of verbs at once — not one-off translations.
- Spaced repetition (SM-2) brings each meaning back right before you forget.
- Four practice modes train recall and discrimination, not just recognition.
