away

1 of 2

adverb

1
: on the way : along
get away early
2
: from this or that place
go away
3
a
: in a secure place or manner
locked away
b
: in another direction
look away
4
: out of existence : to an end
echoes dying away
5
: from one's possession
gave away a fortune
6
: steadily onward : uninterruptedly
clocks ticking away
7
: by a long distance or interval : far
away back in 1910
8
baseball : at or near the side of home plate opposite that at which the batter stands
The pitch broke down and away.
9
sports : on the field or court of an opponent
… failed to win a single series, at home or away, against any of the six other teams in their division …Roger Angell

away

2 of 2

adjective

1
: absent from a place : gone
away for the weekend
2
: distant in space or time
a lake 10 miles away
the season is two months away
3
: played on an opponent's grounds
home and away games
4
baseball
a
: out
two away in the ninth
b
: aimed at or near the side of home plate opposite that at which the batter stands
Instead of chasing bad pitches, especially breaking balls down and away, he has been laying off them.Tim Kurkjian
awayness noun

Examples of away in a Sentence

Adverb She hopes to get away early. The family next door moved away. We rowed away from the shore. Roll up the rug and carry it away. He pulled his arm away from the hot stove. You should keep away from the dog. It could be dangerous. She turned her face away. The will was locked away in the safe. She stowed the luggage away in the overhead compartment. Adjective They are away for the weekend. “Where is he?” “He's away at the moment, but he'll be back soon.” when I am away from home The team played both home games and away games. See More
Recent Examples on the Web
Adverb
Wednesday, that floor was packed away, the team playing a regular old basketball game for a prize that’s more than a half-year away. Dan Woike, Los Angeles Times, 23 Nov. 2023 Plus, the bag has a front pocket on the outside and two additional pockets inside, one that has a zipper to keep items securely tucked away on the go without issue. Rachel Simon, Peoplemag, 23 Nov. 2023 Up, up and away The Northeast saw the largest increase in median home prices from October 2022 to October 2023, rising 7.5%. Catherine Allen, NBC News, 23 Nov. 2023 Pat beat the brush all around me until, with a great racket, up went a partridge into a tree about 10 yards away. Outdoor Life, 23 Nov. 2023 Of course, Matilda, who appeared to be playing with her mom's purse, waited for Cuoco to glance away before doing exactly that. Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 23 Nov. 2023 The biggest thing for me is not throwing kids away. Kirk Kenney, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 Nov. 2023 According to the caption, the elk was defending her newborn calf, which was stashed away in some brush, when the unsuspecting Estes Park residents encountered her on a neighborhood walk. Travis Hall, Field & Stream, 23 Nov. 2023 Suddenly animated, the strands swim away like an octopus in flight. Eric Kim, New York Times, 22 Nov. 2023
Adjective
This week’s game is an away game, so tickets are more affordable, but some still cost more than $330. Taylor Lorenz, Washington Post, 17 Nov. 2023 Reporters particularly wanted to know if a certain pop star would be rooting for the tight end at this weekend’s away game. Angel Saunders, Peoplemag, 4 Nov. 2023 There were even specific entrances for the away team! Stephanie Petit, Peoplemag, 12 Oct. 2023 After the Buffaloes won their first game of the season against Texas Christian University on Sept. 2, images from the away game at Amon G. Carter Stadium, shared by SportsCenter, showed Deion and Shilo sharing a heartwarming hug and an apparent prayer ahead of the big game. Nikki Dobrin, Peoplemag, 27 Sep. 2023 Saban says his wife Terry takes notes at away games to help improve Alabama football’s atmosphere. Matt Stahl | Mstahl@al.com, al, 14 Sep. 2023 Lakota East High School plays an away game this Friday. Madeline Mitchell, The Enquirer, 1 Sep. 2023 The spray’s active ingredient is 25% DEET, and it can be applied with a simple spray to help keep away ticks, as well as mosquitoes, fleas, biting flies, and other insects. Steven Rowe, Health, 28 Aug. 2023 The players masquerading in the club’s new away jerseys with vertical green and white stripes were actually from its under-21 squad, plus 23-year-old goalkeeper Nathan Bishop (more on him later) and 35-year-old legend Jonny Evans, signed for the preseason tour as a favor to rejuvenate his career. Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 July 2023 See More

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

Word History

First Known Use

Adverb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of away was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near away

Cite this Entry

“Away.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/away. Accessed 4 Dec. 2023.

Kids Definition

away

1 of 2 adverb
1
: on the way
get away early
2
: from this or that place
go away
3
: in or to another place or direction
turn away
4
: to an end : out of existence
echoes dying away
5
: from one's possession
gave away a fortune
6
: without stopping or slowing down
talk away
7
: at or to a great distance in space or time : far
away back in 1910

away

2 of 2 adjective
1
: absent from a place : gone
he is away from home
2
: distant in space or time
a lake not far away
the season is two months away

More from Merriam-Webster on away

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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