verb
to take off (plane), to withdraw (money), to pick up (phone)
B1
Abheben: main senses are 'to take off' (plane), 'to withdraw' (money) and 'to pick up' (phone). It’s a separable, strong (irregular) verb (Präteritum hob, Partizip abgehoben). Uses haben as auxiliary. Not reflexive. Prefix ab- separates in finite forms (er hebt ab).
Examples
Ich hebe Geld am Automaten ab.
I withdraw money from the ATM.
Das Flugzeug hob ab, obwohl das Wetter schlecht war.
The airplane took off, although the weather was bad.
Er hob Geld vom Konto ab.
He withdrew money from the account.
Details
Mnemonics
Picture a plane lifting off: it 'lifts up' — abheben = lift off / lift away from ground.
Sounds like 'up-heave-en' — imagine something heaving up (taking off).
Notes
Abheben is separable (ab-heben). It has multiple common meanings: take off (plane), withdraw money, or pick up the receiver. Context determines meaning.