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
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But in truth, the Monroe Doctrine, which warned outside powers to stay away from the Western Hemisphere, asserted an American sphere of influence; during the Cold War, the United States implicitly accepted Soviet hegemony over Eastern Europe and extended its own influence over the West. Margaret MacMillan, The Atlantic, 30 Apr. 2025 Director Russell Vought told all of the agency’s staff to stay away from the office and do no work, outside the CFPB in Washington, U.S., Feb. 10, 2025. Stephanie Dhue, CNBC, 29 Apr. 2025 Miller recommends staying away from tools with plastic handles. Renee Freemon Mulvihill, Better Homes & Gardens, 29 Apr. 2025 But during the time the algae are gone, the corals become weakened and more susceptible to disease and pollution—and if the algae stay away too long, the corals die. Andrea Thompson, Scientific American, 24 Apr. 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 5 May. 2025.

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