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
Mandates scare away top talent, especially in tech Many have taken to the newfound flexibility during the early pandemic, and aren’t necessarily looking to let go of it.
—
Diane Brady, Fortune, 24 Oct. 2024
In some of those instances, ZachXBT's posts about NFT sellers did manage to scare off buyers and prevent shady NFT dealers from selling their wares.
—Andy Greenberg, WIRED, 24 Oct. 2024
This strategy would require support from key U.S. allies to be effective—one more reason why Washington needs to respond to these kinds of crises in a way that seems judicious, patient, and nonescalatory, so as to strengthen its coalition and not scare away key partners.
—Michael O’Hanlon, Foreign Affairs, 12 Aug. 2019
The Maitlands try to scare away Lydia (Winona Ryder), Charles (Jeffrey Jones), and Delia Deetz (Catherine O’Hara) with normal scary tactics.
—Lea Veloso, StyleCaster, 5 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for scare away/off 
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Diane Brady, Fortune, 24 Oct. 2024
In some of those instances, ZachXBT's posts about NFT sellers did manage to scare off buyers and prevent shady NFT dealers from selling their wares.
—Andy Greenberg, WIRED, 24 Oct. 2024
This strategy would require support from key U.S. allies to be effective—one more reason why Washington needs to respond to these kinds of crises in a way that seems judicious, patient, and nonescalatory, so as to strengthen its coalition and not scare away key partners.
—Michael O’Hanlon, Foreign Affairs, 12 Aug. 2019
The Maitlands try to scare away Lydia (Winona Ryder), Charles (Jeffrey Jones), and Delia Deetz (Catherine O’Hara) with normal scary tactics.
—Lea Veloso, StyleCaster, 5 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for scare away/off
Dictionary Entries Near scare away/off
Cite this Entry
“Scare away/off.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/scare%20away%2Foff. Accessed 16 Nov. 2024.
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