carry off

1.  Handle successfully, win, as in It was a difficult situation, but he managed to carry it off gracefully, or They carried off first prize. [First half of 1800s]
2.  Cause the death of someone, as in The new African virus carried off an entire village. This usage is less common today. [Late 1600s]

The verb has 3 meanings:

Meaning #1: be successful; achieve a goal
  Synonyms: pull off, negociate, bring off, manage

Meaning #2: remove from a certain place, environment, or mental or emotional state; transport into a new location or state
  Synonyms: take away, bear off, bear away, carry away

Meaning #3: kill in large numbers
  Synonyms: eliminate, annihilate, extinguish, eradicate, wipe out, decimate