How to Use scare away/off in a Sentence

scare away/off

phrasal verb
  • Her son, Shamaree has learned to stamp his feet to scare away the roaches.
    Rebecca Lurye, courant.com, 15 Mar. 2021
  • Poke around at the ground in front of you with a long stick when moving through tall grass or weeds to scare away snakes.
    Evan Moore, Charlotte Observer, 4 June 2024
  • The seizure-like reactions of a few pigeons are meant to scare away the others.
    Frans Lanting, National Geographic, 22 Oct. 2020
  • The human's presence may scare away the mother, who sees the human as a predator.
    Mika Travis, Detroit Free Press, 2 Sep. 2023
  • Rechichar said her company is taking a loss in the short run to not scare away customers.
    Rob Nikolewski, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Apr. 2022
  • In response, the villagers are said to have set off explosions to scare off the monster, and the practice caught on.
    Mario Poceski, The Conversation, 5 Feb. 2024
  • Charging in with a solution right off the bat will often scare away your leads.
    Lydia Vargo, Forbes, 10 Mar. 2021
  • Still, this is when the water is warmest and boating season is at its prime; the intense heat doesn’t seem to scare away the crowds.
    Skye Sherman, Travel + Leisure, 15 May 2023
  • Vultures who are killed must be used as effigies to try to scare away others.
    Mike Cason | McAson@al.com, al, 1 July 2023
  • But even the harsh light of critical media reports hasn’t been enough to scare away investors.
    Laura Forman, WSJ, 17 Sep. 2021
  • The Texans claimed Tart, with two other teams putting in claims as well, so clearly the concerns weren’t so bad as to scare off suitors.
    Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 27 Feb. 2024
  • Then, the alarm is simply placed against the edge of the door, and if it’s opened from the outside, the device will emit a loud 120db alert to scare off potential intruders.
    Merrell Readman, Travel + Leisure, 24 Sep. 2023
  • When used correctly, these decoys can scare away pesky birds who are trying to roost on your porch.
    Kait Hanson, Southern Living, 8 Aug. 2024
  • The leprechaun came from the idea that the Celtics believed in fairies and other magical beings that use their powers to scare away evil.
    Maria Jimenez Moya, USA TODAY, 17 Mar. 2022
  • Once pressure is applied, the siren emits a jarring sound that’s guaranteed to scare off intruders and alert you to the threat.
    Merrell Readman, Travel + Leisure, 31 Dec. 2023
  • Neighbors said the man eventually spotted the coyote and yelled to scare away the stalker.
    Nathan Solis, Los Angeles Times, 13 June 2024
  • Still, his presence in the paint couldn’t scare away the Utes, who twice before this season held Mobley in serious check.
    Ryan Kartje, Los Angeles Times, 11 Mar. 2021
  • Detroit’s stout run defense won’t scare off coach Kyle Shanahan.
    Rob Maaddi, USA TODAY, 26 Jan. 2024
  • When the price of crude oil rises, gas stations typically wait to hike their prices so as not to scare away customers.
    Megan Cerullo, CBS News, 25 Apr. 2022
  • In addition to keeping ticks away, these wipes can also help scare off gnats, biting flies, and fleas.
    Steven Rowe, Health, 28 Aug. 2023
  • The longer time spent on a flight may also scare away potential passengers.
    BostonGlobe.com, 1 Apr. 2021
  • People should shuffle their feet when entering the water to scare off stingrays.
    Gary Robbins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 July 2023
  • For 300 years, Detroiters allegedly have marched the streets to scare away Nain Rouge and ensure good fortune.
    Amelia Benavides-Colón, Detroit Free Press, 21 Mar. 2024
  • For 300 years, Detroiters allegedly have marched the streets to scare away Nain Rouge and ensure good fortune.
    Detroit Free Press, 20 Mar. 2024
  • Dress Code To scare away the Nain Rouge, elaborate costumes are encouraged.
    Amelia Benavides-Colón, Detroit Free Press, 21 Mar. 2024
  • Swimmers and surfers should shuffle their feet upon entering the water to scare off stingrays.
    Gary Robbins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Aug. 2023
  • The video ends with the persistent pup succeeding in his efforts to scare away the intruder, who scampers off into the dark.
    Abigail Adams, PEOPLE.com, 19 Aug. 2021
  • How to scare off a coyote: Make loud noises, but do not turn and run away; the coyote may view it as an opportunity to chase.
    Ellie Willard, The Arizona Republic, 8 Mar. 2023
  • People can scare away vultures by using an air horn or by spraying them with a high-pressure hose, Tschirhart-Hejl said.
    Adithi Ramakrishnan, Dallas News, 20 Apr. 2023
  • Doves and a few other birds often build their nests close to humans, hoping our presence will scare away other birds.
    Joan Morris, The Mercury News, 17 June 2024

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'scare away/off.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Last Updated: