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

Without it, regulation-heavy environments like Spain (which recently introduced strict labeling laws for AI content) will scare away the next generation of founders. 3. —Lutz Finger, Forbes.com, 16 June 2025

Commissioners debate impact fees Several commissioners expressed concerns that a sharp hike in impact fees could scare away businesses from building in Manatee County, from day care centers to manufacturing. —Ryan Ballogg, Miami Herald, 4 June 2025

Drones are commonly used by airports worldwide to scare away flocks of birds in a plane’s flight path, experts say. —Jin Yu Young, New York Times, 30 Apr. 2025

Hang Reflective Ornaments Flash tape, reflective wind spinners and pinwheels, and even old CDs can be used to scare off birds. —Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 11 June 2025