What Does โStrip sb of sthโ Mean?
โStrip sb of sthโ means to take something important or valuable away from someone, often as a punishment or by force.
Introduction
The phrasal verb strip sb of sth is commonly used when someone loses a right, title, possession, or privilege. It often implies that the removal is official or forced. For example, a person may be stripped of their citizenship or a player might be stripped of their championship title due to misconduct. Understanding the strip sb of sth meaning helps learners use the phrase correctly in both formal and informal contexts.
Quick Info Box
- Phrasal verb: strip somebody of something
- Type: Transitive
- Level: B2
- Meaning: To take away something important from someone, especially by authority or force
Structure (Grammar Rules)
โStrip sb of sthโ is a transitive and inseparable phrasal verb. This means the verb and its particle cannot be separated by the object.
- Correct: They stripped him of his title.
- Incorrect: They stripped of him his title.
Pattern: strip + somebody + of + something
How to Use Strip sb of sth?
Use โstrip sb of sthโ when you want to describe the act of removing something valuable or important from a person. It often relates to rights, privileges, awards, or possessions. The phrase is commonly found in legal, sports, and formal contexts.
Examples
When a politician is involved in a scandal, they might be stripped of their position. Here are some sentences showing strip sb of sth in a sentence:
- The athlete was stripped of his gold medal after failing the drug test.
- The government decided to strip the rebel leader of his citizenship.
- She was stripped of her managerial role because of poor performance.
- After the investigation, the company was stripped of its license to operate.
- The judge stripped the defendant of his parental rights.
Common Mistakes
People often confuse the word order or preposition when using this phrasal verb. Here are some typical mistakes and corrections:
- Incorrect: They stripped of him the award.
Correct: They stripped him of the award. - Incorrect: She was stripped the medal of.
Correct: She was stripped of the medal. - Incorrect: The title was stripped from him.
(While common, this is less standard than โstripped him of the title.โ)
Differences / Synonyms
Similar phrasal verbs include โtake away,โ โconfiscate,โ and โrevoke.โ However, โstrip sb of sthโ often implies a formal or official removal, especially of rights or titles.
- Take away: More general, can be temporary or informal.
- Confiscate: Usually refers to items taken by authority, often temporarily.
- Revoke: Often used with licenses or permissions, meaning cancellation.
Example: The court revoked his license, but the government stripped him of his citizenship.
Common Collocations
Here are common objects used with โstrip sb of sthโ and their meanings:
- Title: An official position or honor
- Rights: Legal or moral entitlements
- Citizenship: Membership of a country
- Medal: An award for achievement
- License: Official permission to do something
Related Phrasal Verbs
Here are related phrasal verbs of strip sb of sth:
Real-life Dialogue
Imagine a conversation between two friends discussing a recent news story:
Anna: Did you hear that the player was stripped of his championship title?
Ben: Yes, because he broke the rules during the game.
Anna: Itโs a serious penalty, but fair.
Practice
Complete the sentences by choosing the correct option:
- The company was __________ its license after violating safety rules.
- a) stripped of
- b) stripped from
- c) took away
- She was __________ her citizenship due to legal issues.
- a) stripped of
- b) stripped
- c) revoked of
- The athlete was __________ his medal after the doping test.
- a) stripped of
- b) stripped from
- c) took from
FAQ
- What does โstrip sb of sthโ mean? It means to take something important away from someone, usually by force or authority.
- Is โstrip sb of sthโ separable? No, the object cannot be placed between โstripโ and โofโ.
- Can โstrip sb of sthโ be used in informal speech? Yes, but it is more common in formal or serious contexts.
- What are common things people get stripped of? Titles, rights, citizenship, medals, and licenses.
- Is โstrip sb of sthโ the same as โtake awayโ? Not exactly. โStrip sb of sthโ usually implies an official or legal removal.
