scare away/off

phrasal verb

scared away/off; scaring away/off; scares away/off

: to cause (someone or something) to go away and stay away because of fear or because of possible trouble, difficulty, etc.

The dog scared the prowler away.

The noise scared off the birds.

Tourists have been scared off by the recent violence in the city.

Examples of scare away/off in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

This blitzkrieg-style defense is often enough to scare off even large predators, as a single envenomation can incapacitate within minutes. —Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 29 Mar. 2025

Fearful Tesla drivers are asking Tesla to implement new tech features in the vehicle to scare off protesters, Fortune reports. —Emily Forlini, PCMAG, 21 Mar. 2025

Radiologists don’t want to scare off patients who can benefit from imaging, which plays a crucial role in identifying life-threatening conditions like cancers and aneurysms and guides doctors through complicated procedures. —Joanne Kenen, NBC News, 8 Mar. 2025

According to a local legend, the masks and black faces with soot helped to scare away the Turks in the 16th century. —Cecilia Rodriguez, Forbes, 11 Mar. 2025