stay away

phrasal verb

stayed away; staying away; stays away
: to not go near someone or something : avoid
I know I shouldn't go there, but it's hard to stay away.
usually + from
Stay away from my girlfriend!
He usually stays away from large crowds.
I try to stay away from caffeine.

Examples of stay away in a Sentence

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.
Don’t soak cabinets with excessive amounts of water, and stay away from harsh cleaners and abrasives to keep the protective layer intact. Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 10 Oct. 2025 Hickman County emergency services are warning people to stay away from the Bucksnort area after an explosion has killed an unknown number of people at an explosives manufacturing plant. Kirsten Fiscus, Nashville Tennessean, 10 Oct. 2025 Public urged to stay away from area Soon after the explosion, the sheriff's office announced that emergency services were currently on the scene working to address the situation. Jonathan Limehouse, USA Today, 10 Oct. 2025 The Texas National Guard boarded a military plane on Monday afternoon in Texas, as state and city leaders in Illinois were holding a news conference asking them to stay away from Chicago. Peter Charalambous, ABC News, 7 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for stay away

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Cite this Entry

“Stay away.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stay%20away. Accessed 15 Oct. 2025.

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