ship (one) off to (some place)

ship (one) off to (some place)

To send one to a different location, often abruptly, hastily, or unceremoniously, perhaps as punishment or consequence. The kids were starting to drive us crazy, so we shipped them off to a summer camp for a few weeks. After leadership changed, the agency shipped me off to some low-level bureau.

See also: off, ship, to

Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.

ship off

v.

1. To leave, as for a distant place: The soldier shipped off to the war zone. I said goodbye to my friends because I was shipping off the next day.

2. To send something or someone, as to a distant place: They shipped the prisoners off to an offshore island. We shipped off the packages.

See also: off, ship

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Phrasal Verbs. Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.