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.

Republican incumbents have been tying their Democratic challengers to Newsom in an effort to scare off moderate voters and stoke their base. —

Taryn Luna, Los Angeles Times, 3 Nov. 2024 According to some sources, people also disguised themselves in costumes made of animal hides in an attempt to scare away those unwelcome ghostly visitors. —

Aaron Mahnke, People.com, 27 Oct. 2024 None of us moved, in order not to scare off the fox. —

Yiyun Li, Harper's Magazine, 23 Sep. 2024 James fears hiking his prices will scare off business. —

Kamaron McNair, CNBC, 25 July 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 3 Dec. 2024.

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