deshacerse de / librarse de
verbCEFR B2
What does “deshacerse de / librarse de” mean in English?
to get rid of, to dispose of
to get rid of, to dispose of (deshacerse de + noun — remove something unwanted; always reflexive + de)
Example sentences
La junta directiva se propuso deshacerse de los activos improductivos para sanear el balance.
The board of directors set out to get rid of unproductive assets to clean up the balance sheet.
Por fin se deshizo de todos los documentos que no necesitaba y organizó el archivo.
He finally got rid of all the documents he no longer needed and organised the archive.
How to use it
Deshacerse de means 'to get rid of' or 'to dispose of'. Always reflexive; followed by de + noun. More colloquial than prescindir de (do without) or eliminar (eliminate). Covers physical disposal and figurative riddance. Also: librarse de (same meaning — synonymous).
Common mistake
Deshacerse de (get rid of — reflexive + de) vs. eliminar (eliminate — transitive, no reflexive) vs. prescindir de (do without — implies managing without rather than disposing). All three are useful B2 alternatives.