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

Such a risk, even if merely looming in the shadows, could also scare away future investors; and in the event of a future raise that does require a CFIUS filing, CFIUS will then seek to review the prior investment. —Jack Shelton, Forbes.com, 20 May 2025

The regime may be threatening Israel to try and scare off Washington and Jerusalem from moving against the regime’s nuclear weapons program. —Benjamin Weinthal, Fox News, 22 Feb. 2025

Especially with Edison facing dozens of lawsuits related to the Eaton fire, which may have been sparked by one if its electric lines, utilities say doing anything that could scare off investors or spook credit-rating agencies could lead to higher rates, by raising the cost of borrowing money. —Sammy Roth, Los Angeles Times, 27 Mar. 2025

For instance, the company might have a poor reputation—think consistent Glassdoor reviews citing toxic culture, high turnover, or unethical practices—which can scare off candidates who value a healthy work environment. —Jack Kelly, Forbes, 5 Mar. 2025