stay away

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.
Unlike those folks from the other side of the country who fill cold-weather stadiums for bad teams during snowstorms and brag about it, the local sports fans stay away from struggling teams in uncomfortable situations and shrug about it. Los Angeles Times, 1 Sep. 2026 Karina will stay away from land — spinning out its days in the open ocean — but some heavy surf could arrive to the shores of California later this week. Sean MacAday, Sacbee.com, 31 Aug. 2026 Their romance is complicated by Peter’s promise to Gwen’s late father to stay away from her, while Peter also faces new threats from Electro, played by Jamie Foxx, and Harry Osborn, played by Dane DeHaan. Lily Brown, PEOPLE, 31 Aug. 2026 In this case, be sure to stay away and have a professional do the job. Michelle Mastro, Martha Stewart, 30 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for stay away

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Stay away.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stay%20away. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster