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
Rain is expected to continue in the region at least through Monday, and emergency officials warned people to stay away from the river.
—
Sharon Bernstein, Sacbee.com, 22 Dec. 2025
An anonymous tipster also said Armstrong called Wilson so frequently, telling her to stay away from Strickland, that Wilson blocked her number.
—Jessica Sager, PEOPLE, 20 Dec. 2025
Yet Vonn’s peers insisted she was supposed to do the dignified thing and stay away to avoid injury or embarrassment.
—Sally Jenkins, The Atlantic, 18 Dec. 2025
From new books to old books, audiobooks, and DVDs, the Murrysville Community Library wants to lend it all out, and for these books and media to stay away from the building, at least for a while.
—Christopher Derose, CBS News, 16 Dec. 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.
Sharon Bernstein, Sacbee.com, 22 Dec. 2025
An anonymous tipster also said Armstrong called Wilson so frequently, telling her to stay away from Strickland, that Wilson blocked her number.
—Jessica Sager, PEOPLE, 20 Dec. 2025
Yet Vonn’s peers insisted she was supposed to do the dignified thing and stay away to avoid injury or embarrassment.
—Sally Jenkins, The Atlantic, 18 Dec. 2025
From new books to old books, audiobooks, and DVDs, the Murrysville Community Library wants to lend it all out, and for these books and media to stay away from the building, at least for a while.
—Christopher Derose, CBS News, 16 Dec. 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 23 Dec. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share