frighten away/off

phrasal verb

frightened away/off; frightening away/off; frightens away/off
: to cause (someone or something) to go away or stay away because of fear
The dog frightened the prowler away.
Tourists have been frightened off by the violence in the city.

Examples of frighten away/off in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The internal drama may frighten away investors, potentially leading to a lower valuation. Jason Ma, Fortune, 1 Oct. 2024 If someone does try to open your door, the wedge emits a blaring alarm that’s sure to frighten off the threat while alerting your neighbors for help. Merrell Readman, Travel + Leisure, 16 July 2024 The leafy gecko opens its mouth, sticking out a blood-red tongue and unleashing a chilling scream that will frighten off the boldest of predators. Holly Barker, Discover Magazine, 7 Oct. 2022 Radical protesters, coupled with a relentless onslaught from the media, attempted to frighten off the president’s supporters. Alexandra Lonas, Washington Examiner, 26 June 2020 Ahead of a judicial overhaul that could transform the country and frighten away investors, the executives of Start-Up Nation are mulling an exodus. David Segal, New York Times, 23 Feb. 2023 Uncertainty about the conservative court’s handling of the 2024 proposal won’t frighten away prospective license applicants, Green said. Dara Kam, Sun Sentinel, 3 Feb. 2023 The original purpose of carving a frightening face and placing fire inside the pumpkin was to frighten away evil spirits. Kevin Dayhoff, baltimoresun.com/maryland/carroll, 23 Oct. 2020

Dictionary Entries Near frighten away/off

Cite this Entry

“Frighten away/off.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/frighten%20away%2Foff. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!