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

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.

ByteDance has now asked the Supreme Court to stay the law, arguing that even a temporary shutdown of TikTok would disrupt advertising contracts worth billions of dollars, scare off potential business partners and accelerate creators’ shift away from the platform. —

Emily Baker-White, Forbes, 16 Dec. 2024 The self-defense siren is incredibly loud, designed to attract attention and scare off anyone who might pose a threat. —

Rosie Marder, Travel + Leisure, 1 Dec. 2024 One of the most visible theft deterrents — the locked case of goods — is a quick solution that works, but can also scare off shoppers. —

Evan Clark, WWD, 22 Nov. 2024 The Arizona Department of Public Safety is trying to scare away would-be HOV lane violators. —

Jose R. Gonzalez, The Arizona Republic, 1 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for scare away/off

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“Scare away/off.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/scare%20away%2Foff. Accessed 5 Jan. 2025.

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