siphon off

siphon off — phrasal verb

  • siphon offbase form
  • siphons off3rd person singular
  • siphoning off-ing form
  • siphoned offpast simple

1. to move money away from a company, group, or fund in a dishonest way, so that yo

1.片語動詞及物B2
釋義

to move money away from a company, group, or fund in a dishonest way, so that you can use it for something that was never approved

例句

Lucas siphoned off nearly three million dollars from the company pension fund over eight years.

siphon off + money + time period

A charity worker siphoned off donations meant for disaster relief into a private bank account.

同義詞
  • embezzle

    more formal, refers specifically to stealing money you are trusted to manage

  • divert

    neutral word — can be honest or dishonest depending on context

  • skim

    informal, implies taking small amounts over time so the loss is not noticed

文法句型

siphon + noun + off

siphon off + noun

用法筆記

This phrasal verb is separable: the object can go between 'siphon' and 'off' (e.g., 'siphoned the cash off') or after 'off' (e.g., 'siphoned off the cash'). Most common in financial-crime and political-corruption contexts.

常見錯誤

❌The manager siphoned money from the charity into his own account.
✅The manager siphoned off money from the charity into his own account.
💡without 'off', the physical tube meaning is more likely; 'siphon off' marks the dishonest-diversion sense.