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 + fromStay 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
The Justice Department has always tried to stay away from some of the politics of the White House.
—
ABC News, 28 Sep. 2025
Those are areas that Swinney has constantly tried to stay away from.
—Evan Massey, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Sep. 2025
In theory, that bear would eventually learn to stay away from those areas.
—Dac Collins, Outdoor Life, 25 Sep. 2025
Dwyane Wade and Gabrielle Union can’t stay away from Miami.
—Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 25 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for stay away
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.
ABC News, 28 Sep. 2025
Those are areas that Swinney has constantly tried to stay away from.
—Evan Massey, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Sep. 2025
In theory, that bear would eventually learn to stay away from those areas.
—Dac Collins, Outdoor Life, 25 Sep. 2025
Dwyane Wade and Gabrielle Union can’t stay away from Miami.
—Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 25 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for stay away
Cite this Entry
“Stay away.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stay%20away. Accessed 29 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share