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
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
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
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'frighten away/off.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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 4 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share