squirrel away

Idioms and Phrases

Hide or store, as in She squirreled away her savings in at least four different banks . This expression alludes to the squirrel's habit of hiding nuts and acorns in the ground. [First half of 1900s]

Example Sentences

In California, there are about a dozen other carbon storage proposals that seek to collectively squirrel away millions of tons of carbon emissions in old oil and gas fields in exchange for government tax credits.

From Los Angeles Times

Governors don’t want to squirrel away so much that they’re not investing as much as they could in schools and safety.

From Washington Post

Even as a student, he would squirrel away money from part-time jobs and use some of it to lavish his mother and grandmother with clothes.

From New York Times

“This is different,” veteran Virginia political analyst Bob Holsworth said of Youngkin’s spending, noting that governors in their first year usually squirrel away money for the next year’s legislative races.

From Washington Post

For others, income may not keep pace with rising costs, leaving them less to squirrel away.

From New York Times