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
Ultimately jurors had to assess the authenticity of the gun used in the incident, which the defense argued was a prop gun that Rocky carried to scare off attackers and fired only as a warning.
—
Driadonna Roland, refinery29.com, 19 Feb. 2025
Before starting your car, the American Veterinary Medical Association recommends checking under the vehicle, banging on the hood and honking the horn to scare off any outdoor cats sheltered in your car.
—Eleanor Nash, Kansas City Star, 18 Feb. 2025
The delayed care occurred in the aftermath of a new state law that criminalized performing the procedure to remove fetal tissue from the uterus with few exceptions, legislation that reproductive-rights advocates said could scare away doctors from performing the surgery for fear of prosecution.
—Seema Mehta, Los Angeles Times, 20 Oct. 2024
These small-yet-mighty keychains blast ultra-loud sirens that alert bystanders and scare off perpetrators in the event of an attack.
—Amelia McBride, Travel + Leisure, 9 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for scare away/off
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Driadonna Roland, refinery29.com, 19 Feb. 2025
Before starting your car, the American Veterinary Medical Association recommends checking under the vehicle, banging on the hood and honking the horn to scare off any outdoor cats sheltered in your car.
—Eleanor Nash, Kansas City Star, 18 Feb. 2025
The delayed care occurred in the aftermath of a new state law that criminalized performing the procedure to remove fetal tissue from the uterus with few exceptions, legislation that reproductive-rights advocates said could scare away doctors from performing the surgery for fear of prosecution.
—Seema Mehta, Los Angeles Times, 20 Oct. 2024
These small-yet-mighty keychains blast ultra-loud sirens that alert bystanders and scare off perpetrators in the event of an attack.
—Amelia McBride, Travel + Leisure, 9 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for scare away/off
Cite this Entry
“Scare away/off.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/scare%20away%2Foff. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.
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