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.
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.
Adverb
The election against President Trump was less than four months away. Stephen Battaglio, Los Angeles Times, 20 May 2025 Some of the most transformative applications of AI operate far away from the spotlights of Silicon Valley, seen only by back-office workers who are now saving thousands of hours in rote menial work. Haokun Qin, Forbes.com, 20 May 2025
Adjective
There is no better experience than spending the day at your favorite team's stadium or even hitting the road to watch the squad play in one of the many iconic away stadiums across the league. Ben Verbrugge, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 May 2025 Chelsea striker Nicolas Jackson was sent off in the first half for an elbow on defender Sven Botman, but the tactical shift which followed gave the away team a foothold in the match. Harry De Cosemo, Forbes.com, 12 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for away

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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Away.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/away. Accessed 28 May. 2025.

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

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