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
That said, complex tools can scare away teams and employees who are operations experts first, technologists second.
—
Ed Jennings, Forbes.com, 11 July 2025
The combination of a floodlight and a camera is a great way to scare off intruders and get better quality footage at night.
—Simon Hill, Wired News, 11 July 2025
The She’s Birdie Safety Alarm Keychain, $23, and Emdmak Door Stop Alarms, $13, can scare off assailants and intruders.
—Amelia McBride, Travel + Leisure, 10 July 2025
Locals were motivated by the desire to preserve their city, fearing that the lack of a grocery store would drive away current residents and scare off potential new ones.
—Yasmin Tayag, The Atlantic, 2 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for scare away/off
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Ed Jennings, Forbes.com, 11 July 2025
The combination of a floodlight and a camera is a great way to scare off intruders and get better quality footage at night.
—Simon Hill, Wired News, 11 July 2025
The She’s Birdie Safety Alarm Keychain, $23, and Emdmak Door Stop Alarms, $13, can scare off assailants and intruders.
—Amelia McBride, Travel + Leisure, 10 July 2025
Locals were motivated by the desire to preserve their city, fearing that the lack of a grocery store would drive away current residents and scare off potential new ones.
—Yasmin Tayag, The Atlantic, 2 July 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 22 Jul. 2025.
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