take away (takeaway)

'Take away' and 'takeaway' sound the same but serve different roles: the verb phrase 'take away' means to remove; the noun 'takeaway' (BrE) means a meal to eat elsewhere or a main point. In AmE, food is usually 'takeout'.

Quick answer

Use take away (two words) for the action "to remove." Use takeaway (one word, British English) for the noun meaning a meal or a main point. In American English, prefer takeout for food. Avoid take-away unless a house style requires a hyphen.

Verb phrase: two words - take away, took away, taking away.
Noun (BrE): one word - takeaway, plural takeaways. (AmE food = takeout.)
Hyphenated take-away is uncommon in modern prose.

Core explanation: verb phrase vs. noun

If the phrase describes an action (someone removes something), write two words. If it names a thing - a meal or an insight - write one word in BrE.

Action: two words - "Please take away the boxes."
Thing/point: one word (BrE) - "The main takeaway is clear."
Food (AmE): use "takeout" to avoid confusion.

Spacing and hyphenation: practical rules

Default: two words for the verb, one word for the noun in British English. Hyphenation is a stylistic or outdated choice; follow your style guide if it insists on hyphens.

Action → two words: "They will take away the samples."
Noun → one word (BrE): "We ordered a takeaway."
AmE food → "takeout." Avoid "take-away" unless required.

Grammar details: tense, plural, and attributive use

Verb forms follow normal patterns. The noun takes a regular plural. When the noun modifies another noun, it often stays one word (BrE): "takeaway message." In AmE, writers sometimes use "takeaway" for a main point in business contexts.

"They took away the chairs." (past verb)
"There are three takeaways from the study." (plural noun)
"Takeaway message" - noun used attributively; keep one word in BrE.

Real usage: formal vs. casual, UK vs. US

Business and academic writing use the noun "takeaway" to sum up findings, especially in the UK. In the US, "key point" or "takeaway" both appear; for food, prefer "takeout" or "to-go."

Formal (BrE): "Primary takeaway: improve onboarding."
Formal (AmE): "Primary point: improve onboarding." (or "takeaway" is also acceptable)
Casual (UK): "Fancy a takeaway?" / Casual (US): "Fancy takeout?"

Try your own sentence

Test the whole sentence, not just the phrase. Context usually makes the right choice obvious.

Practical examples (common mistakes corrected)

Each wrong sentence shows a real error; the right sentence is a clean correction you can use as a template.

Wrong: Can you takeaway this plate, please?
Right: Can you take away this plate, please?
Wrong: We ordered take away for dinner.
Right: We ordered a takeaway for dinner. (BrE) / We ordered takeout for dinner. (AmE)
Wrong: Please takeaway the empty boxes after the event.
Right: Please take away the empty boxes after the event.
Wrong: The main take away from today's lecture is clarity.
Right: The main takeaway from today's lecture is clarity.
Wrong: She tookaway the leftover samples to the lab.
Right: She took away the leftover samples to the lab.
Wrong: Grab a take away on your way back.
Right: Grab a takeaway on your way back. (BrE) / Grab some takeout on your way back. (AmE)
Work (verb): "Can you take away these sample units before the demo?"
Work (noun): "Key takeaway from the sprint: reduce scope creep."
Work (food): "Should we order a takeaway for the team lunch?" (BrE) / "takeout" (AmE)
School (verb): "Please take away the textbooks from the desk."
School (noun): "A clear takeaway from this lab is how to control variables."
School (casual): "Anyone up for a takeaway after class?" (UK)
Casual (verb): "He asked the waiter to take away the plates."
Casual (food): "Let's get a takeaway and watch a film." (BrE) / "Let's get takeout." (AmE)
Casual (point): "My takeaway from the chat: hurry up and ship."

Rewrite help: fast fixes you can paste in

Use this quick checklist, then copy a template that fits your sentence.

1) Identify function: action → two words; thing/point → one word (BrE) or "takeout" for US food.
2) Swap in "remove" or "main point": if "remove" fits, use two words; if "main point" fits, use one word.
3) Fix tense/plural: check verb forms or plural "takeaways."
4) Read aloud; prefer "takeout" for American food contexts.

Rewrite:
Wrong: "The take away from the meeting is not actionable." → Better: "The takeaway from the meeting is not actionable."
Rewrite:
Wrong: "Can you takeaway my bag?" → Better: "Can you take away my bag?" → Cleaner: "Can you remove my bag?"
Rewrite:
Wrong: "We will eat takeaway at home." (AmE reader) → Better: "We'll get takeout to eat at home."
Template - action request: "Please take away [object] when you finish."
Template - report summary: "Key takeaway: [concise point]."
Template - food plan: AmE: "Let's order takeout from [restaurant]." / BrE: "Let's order a takeaway from [restaurant]."

Memory trick: a two-second test

Mentally replace the phrase with "remove" or "main point." If "remove" fits, use two words. If "main point" fits, use one word. For US readers talking about food, pick "takeout."

'Remove the plates' → 'take away the plates' (two words)
'The main point of the talk' → 'the takeaway of the talk' (one word, BrE)
If unsure, rephrase: use "remove" or "key point" to avoid ambiguity.

Similar mistakes to watch for

Other compounds follow the same pattern: verb = two words, noun/adjective often becomes one word.

set up (verb) vs setup (noun): "Set up the camera." / "The setup was quick."
check out (verb) vs checkout (noun): "Check out this link." / "The checkout failed."
look up (verb) vs lookup (noun): "Look up the address." / "Use the lookup table."
break up (verb) vs breakup (noun): "They broke up." / "The breakup was messy."

FAQ

Is 'takeaway' one word or two?

Use two words (take away) for the verb "remove." Use one word (takeaway) for the noun in British English when you mean a meal or the main point. In American English, use "takeout" for the food noun; "takeaway" is still understood as a main point.

Can I ever write 'take-away' with a hyphen?

Only if a house style requires it. Hyphenated "take-away" is uncommon; prefer the two/one-word distinction unless instructed otherwise.

How do I fix "Can you takeaway this?" quickly?

Decide the intended meaning. If it's an action, change to "Can you take away this?" If it's food, change to "Can you get a takeaway?" (BrE) or "Can you get takeout?" (AmE).

Do Americans ever use 'takeaway' for a main point?

Yes. In business writing Americans often use "takeaway" to mean the main point, though "key point" is also common. For food, Americans usually say "takeout" or "to-go."

What's the fastest way to avoid this mistake in long documents?

Search for "takeaway", "take away", and "take-away" and apply the two/one-word rule. For US audiences, replace food mentions with "takeout" and do a final human review for tone.

Want a quick second opinion?

If a sentence still feels off, run it through a grammar checker or ask a peer. Use the two-second memory test to decide instantly while drafting. Small spacing fixes improve clarity and tone in reports, emails, and student work.