What Does “Strip sth of sth” Mean?
“Strip sth of sth” means to take something important or valuable away from someone or something, often leaving them without it.
Introduction
The phrasal verb “strip sth of sth” is commonly used in English to describe the action of removing an essential quality, right, or possession from someone or something. Understanding the strip sth of sth meaning helps learners express situations where something is forcefully or officially taken away. This phrase is often used in legal, political, and everyday contexts. For example, a person might be stripped of their title, or a building could be stripped of its decorations. Knowing how to use this phrasal verb correctly will improve your English fluency and comprehension.
Quick Info Box
- Phrasal verb: strip something of something
- Type: transitive
- Level: B2
- Short meaning: to remove something important from someone or something
Structure (Grammar Rules)
“Strip sth of sth” is a transitive phrasal verb that is inseparable. This means you cannot place the object between “strip” and “of.” The pattern is:
- strip + something + of + something
Examples:
- They stripped him of his citizenship.
- The law can strip companies of their licenses.
How to Use Strip sth of sth?
Use “strip sth of sth” when you want to talk about removing a right, title, quality, or possession from a person or object. It is often used in formal or serious contexts, such as legal or official situations.
You can use it to describe:
- Taking away someone’s rights or privileges.
- Removing decorations or features from an object.
- Forcibly making someone lose something important.
Examples
Imagine a politician who breaks the law and loses their position. We can say:
- The government stripped the politician of his power after the scandal.
- She was stripped of her medal due to cheating.
- The company was stripped of its license for violating safety rules.
- The old house was stripped of its original woodwork during renovation.
- The court stripped him of his parental rights.
These examples show how “strip sth of sth” in a sentence expresses removal of something important.
Common Mistakes
People often confuse the word order or use “strip” incorrectly. Here are some examples:
- Incorrect: They stripped of him his citizenship.
- Correct: They stripped him of his citizenship.
- Incorrect: She stripped her medal.
- Correct: She was stripped of her medal.
Remember, the object being stripped must come directly after “strip,” followed by “of” and then what is removed.
Differences / Synonyms
Similar phrasal verbs include “take away,” “deprive of,” and “remove.” However, “strip sth of sth” often implies a formal or official action, sometimes forceful.
- Take away: More general, can be informal.
- Deprive of: Similar meaning but more formal and often used in legal contexts.
- Remove: More neutral, can refer to physical or abstract things.
For example, “strip him of his title” implies an official removal, while “take away his title” is less formal.
Common Collocations
“Strip sth of sth” is often used with certain nouns. Here are common collocations and their meanings:
- Strip someone of their rights – remove legal or personal rights
- Strip someone of their title – take away a rank or honor
- Strip someone of citizenship – revoke nationality
- Strip something of decorations – remove ornaments or features
- Strip someone of privileges – deny special advantages
Related Phrasal Verbs
Here are related phrasal verbs of strip sth of sth:
Real-life Dialogue
Here is a conversation between two friends discussing a news story:
Emma: Did you hear about the athlete who cheated?
James: Yes, they stripped her of her gold medal.
Emma: That’s serious. It means she lost her title officially.
James: Exactly. It’s a strong punishment.
Practice
Choose the correct sentence using “strip sth of sth”:
- A) The court stripped of him his license.
- B) The court stripped him of his license.
- C) The court stripped his license of him.
Answer: B
FAQ
- Q: Can “strip sth of sth” be used in informal speech?
A: It’s usually formal but can be used informally if the context fits.
- Q: Is “strip” separable in this phrasal verb?
A: No, “strip sth of sth” is inseparable.
- Q: Can it be used with abstract ideas?
A: Yes, you can strip someone of rights, privileges, or titles.
- Q: What is the difference between “strip” and “take away”?
A: “Strip” often implies official or forceful removal, while “take away” is more general.
- Q: Can “strip sth of sth” be used in the passive voice?
A: Yes, for example, “He was stripped of his rank.”
