sacks
sacks — verb
- sackspresent simple I / you / we / they
- sackses3rd person singular
- sacksing-ing form
- sacksedpast simple
1. to tell someone they can no longer work for you, usually because their work was
to tell someone they can no longer work for you, usually because their work was poor, they broke rules, or you need to reduce costs
The manager sacked three staff members after the budget review in March.
transitive: sack + direct object (people)
Emma was sacked from the bakery for taking money from the register.
passive: be sacked from [place] for [reason]
The company sacked Lakshmi even though she had worked there for twelve years.
After the scandal broke, the board sacked the chief executive immediately.
Workers protested when the factory sacked two hundred employees without warning.
文法句型
sack + someone
be sacked for [reason]
be sacked from [organisation]
用法筆記
Frequently passive. Common in British and Australian English; less common in American English, where 'fire' is preferred. The subject is usually an employer or manager; the object is an employee.
常見錯誤
⚠️ 'The boss sacked him on the spot last Monday.' — While grammatically correct, 'fired' is more natural in American English. For global learners, prefer 'fired' in US contexts.
2. to stop the other team's quarterback from throwing by tackling him before he can
to stop the other team's quarterback from throwing by tackling him before he can release the ball; a defensive move in American football
Wei sacked the quarterback in the final minute and won the game for his team.
transitive: sacked + the quarterback
The defensive end sacked the quarterback hard, and the crowd cheered loudly.
Talia sacked the quarterback for a loss of nine yards on third down, forcing the other team to punt.
Ari blitzed and sacked the quarterback in the final seconds, sealing a three-point victory.
- tackle
general term for stopping any ball carrier; 'sack' is specific to the quarterback
- bring down
informal phrase that can describe any tackle
- protect
the offensive line's job is to protect the quarterback from being sacked
文法句型
sack + the quarterback
用法筆記
The object is always 'the quarterback' — 'sack' is not used for other players. This sense appears in sports news, commentary, and video games.
常見錯誤
3. to violently take control of a town, city, or building during a conflict, causin
to violently take control of a town, city, or building during a conflict, causing widespread damage and stealing valuable possessions
The barbarian army sacked the Roman city and carried away the gold statues.
transitive: sacked + [place]
During the invasion, soldiers sacked the temple and destroyed its ancient walls.
The Vikings sacked the monastery and stole all the silver and books inside.
Pirates sacked the port town, taking grain, wine, and cattle from the warehouses.
文法句型
sack + [place/city/town/temple]
用法筆記
Historically used for armies plundering captured towns. In modern contexts, it describes large-scale looting during riots or wars, not ordinary burglary. Subject is usually a military force or large group.
常見錯誤
4. to fill a large bag with loose items such as grain, vegetables, or other goods,
to fill a large bag with loose items such as grain, vegetables, or other goods, especially for storage or transport
The farm workers sacked the potatoes and loaded them onto the waiting truck.
transitive: sacked + [produce]
Pedro sacked the coffee beans before they were shipped to the roasting company.
Soraya sacked the apples and tied each bag with a piece of thick string.
Every morning, the baker sacked the flour for the day's bread orders.
Cyrus sacked the onions and stacked them in the corner of the storage shed.
文法句型
sack + [goods/produce]
用法筆記
The object is typically agricultural produce (grain, potatoes, coffee, rice) or bulk materials. Not commonly used for putting items into a small paper or plastic shopping bag — use 'bag' instead.
常見錯誤
sacks — noun
- sackssingular
- sacksesplural
1. a sturdy container, often made from woven fabric, heavy paper, or plastic, desig
a sturdy container, often made from woven fabric, heavy paper, or plastic, designed to hold and transport bulk quantities of goods such as grain, flour, or potatoes
Omar carried a heavy sack of rice from the market to his car.
a sack of [goods]
The farmer filled each sack with freshly picked potatoes before sealing them.
fill a sack with [contents]
Inês tore open the paper sack of cement and poured it into the wheelbarrow.
Stacked against the wall were dozens of burlap sacks stuffed with coffee beans.
Chidi hoisted the sack of charcoal onto his shoulder and walked toward the truck.
- bag
more general term; can refer to any size of container made of flexible material
- burlap sack
specifically made of coarse woven fabric (burlap/hessian), used for agricultural products
文法句型
a sack of [something]
用法筆記
Often followed by 'of' to specify the contents. Common collocations include 'sack of potatoes', 'sack of flour', 'sack of rice', and 'sack of cement'.
常見錯誤
2. a thin container, typically constructed from paper or lightweight plastic, which
a thin container, typically constructed from paper or lightweight plastic, which a store provides to shoppers for transporting their purchases
Lien packed the groceries into a brown paper sack and handed it to the customer.
paper sack for groceries
Hugo asked for a plastic sack at the checkout to carry his purchases home.
Ayesha carried three canvas sacks filled with fresh vegetables from the farmer's market.
The store charges a small fee for each paper sack to encourage reusable bags.
- shopping bag
more general term across all varieties of English; can be made of any material
- carrier bag
British English term for a plastic or paper bag for carrying purchases
文法句型
a sack of [shopping items]
用法筆記
More common in American English than British English for shopping bags. British English typically uses 'carrier bag' or 'shopping bag'.
常見錯誤
3. the act of forcing a worker to leave their position, usually because the employe
the act of forcing a worker to leave their position, usually because the employer considers their performance or behaviour unacceptable
After showing up late three times in one week, Ilan was given the sack.
given the sack = dismissed from job
Vivek knew he would get the sack if the manager found out about the mistake.
get the sack
Three employees got the sack when the company discovered they had stolen office equipment.
After the new boss announced surprise performance reviews, the threat of the sack made the entire office uneasy.
- hiring
the act of bringing someone into a job, the opposite of firing
文法句型
get the sack
give someone the sack
用法筆記
Almost always used in the phrases 'get the sack' (be fired) or 'give [someone] the sack' (fire someone). British in origin but widely understood internationally.
常見錯誤
4. the violent destruction and looting of a town, city, or building during a war, i
the violent destruction and looting of a town, city, or building during a war, invasion, or riot, with valuable items stolen and widespread damage caused
The sack of the ancient city lasted three days, leaving nothing but ruins and ashes.
the sack of [place]
Historians still debate how many treasures were lost during the sack of Constantinople in 1204.
The invading army carried out a brutal sack of the fortress, taking gold and silver.
Mizuki read about the sack of the temple and felt shocked by the destruction.
The general ordered the sack of the rebel headquarters to send a clear message.
文法句型
the sack of [place]
用法筆記
Typically used in historical contexts. 'The sack of Rome', 'the sack of Troy', etc. The verb form ('to sack a city') is also common. Not used for modern warfare except in deliberate historical comparisons.
常見錯誤
5. in American football, a defensive play during which a player tackles the quarter
in American football, a defensive play during which a player tackles the quarterback before he has a chance to throw the ball forward, pushing the offence backwards
Rafael made a spectacular sack in the final quarter, bringing the quarterback down hard.
make a sack = tackle the quarterback
The linebacker has recorded twelve sacks this season, the best in the league.
record [number] sacks
Jabari's sack on third down forced the other team to kick a field goal.
Omar watched his favourite defensive player celebrate after an impressive sack during the championship game.
- tackle
general term for bringing down any ball carrier; a sack is a specific type of tackle
文法句型
[player] makes a sack
record [number] sacks
用法筆記
A 'sack' is a statistic in American football. It is distinct from a regular tackle because it specifically occurs behind the line of scrimmage against the quarterback before a pass is thrown. The opposite of a sack is a 'completed pass'.
常見錯誤
6. a bed — used informally, especially in the fixed phrase 'hit the sack' meaning t
a bed — used informally, especially in the fixed phrase 'hit the sack' meaning to go to bed to sleep
After working a double shift, Hugo was exhausted and ready to hit the sack.
hit the sack = go to bed
Mizuki told her roommate she would hit the sack early due to an early flight.
Kofi yawned loudly after carrying furniture up three flights of stairs and announced it was time to hit the sack.
Inês hit the sack before ten o'clock, leaving her homework unfinished on the desk.
- hit the hay
equivalent informal idiom, also meaning 'go to bed'
- get up
to rise from bed, the opposite action
文法句型
hit the sack
用法筆記
Almost exclusively used in the fixed expression 'hit the sack'. Less common in other grammatical contexts. 'Hit the hay' is a synonym with the same meaning and level of informality.
常見錯誤
7. an informal way to talk about a person's skill or ability during sex, using the
an informal way to talk about a person's skill or ability during sex, using the old slang meaning of 'sack' for a bed
Brooke's friends joked that her new boyfriend was rumored to be good in the sack.
fixed expression: 'good in the sack'
Eitan felt embarrassed when his roommate loudly asked whether he was good in the sack.
The gossip magazine claimed the actor was surprisingly bad in the sack, citing anonymous interviews with three former partners.
Renata laughed off the comment about her skills in the sack and changed the subject.
Sade rolled her eyes whenever her colleagues discussed who might be good in the sack.
- good in bed
more common and slightly less crude alternative for the same idea
文法句型
good/bad in the sack
用法筆記
Always appears as part of the fixed phrase 'good/bad in the sack'. Never used in formal writing. Less common outside of gossip, jokes, or casual conversation among adults.
常見錯誤
8. the amount of something that fills one sack completely
the amount of something that fills one sack completely
Arjun bought a sackful of potatoes from the farmers' market on Saturday morning.
pattern: sackful of [food item]
Mizuki carried a sackful of rice up the stairs to her small apartment kitchen.
The children collected a sackful of fallen apples from the old tree in the garden.
Omar dumped a sackful of cement into the wheelbarrow before adding water.
Lauren's grandmother sent a sackful of oranges from her orchard every winter.
- bagful
interchangeable for most contexts, though 'bagful' typically refers to smaller bags
文法句型
sackful + of + noun
用法筆記
Often followed by 'of' to specify the contents. Most commonly used with food items, grains, or building materials.
9. a woman's dress or short coat cut with a wide, loose shape so that it does not f
a woman's dress or short coat cut with a wide, loose shape so that it does not follow the natural curves of the body — a style that is now rarely worn outside of vintage fashion
Amihan wore a simple linen sack to the garden party, as was common in the 1950s.
dated clothing item
The vintage shop sold a beautiful silk sack with floral patterns from the 1920s.
Beatrix found an old photograph of her grandmother in a white cotton sack dress.
Luca's mother recalled that her wedding coat was a short velvet sack with pearl buttons.
William examined the loose-cut sack coat hanging in the museum's costume exhibit.
- sack dress
the more common modern term for this type of dress
- shift dress
similar straight-hanging shape but not necessarily dated
用法筆記
Now dated and mainly encountered in historical fashion writing, vintage clothing descriptions, or costume museums. The compound forms 'sack dress' and 'sack coat' are more common than 'sack' alone.