ENGLISH
REFERENCE

ghost away

phr. v..
C2 Proficiency Oxford Literary

phr. v.. to move someone or something away quietly and secretly so that nobody notices.

phr. v.. to remove or spirit someone or something away in a stealthy, surreptitious manner; often used in the passive voice to describe a disappearance.


SIMPLE

The guards ghosted the witness away through a back door.

CONTEXTUAL

Before the reporters could ask any questions, the celebrity was ghosted away in a black car.

COMPLEX

The rare manuscripts were ghosted away from the library under the cover of night, leaving no trace of the theft for the morning staff.

Particles
away
Separability
optional
Pattern
ghost + object + away
Usage

transitive; the object usually goes between 'ghost' and 'away'.

Teaching tip

this is a rare, literary phrasal verb; connect it to the noun 'ghost' to help students visualize the silent, invisible movement it describes.

Pitfall

The money was ghosted from the safe.The money was ghosted away from the safe.the particle 'away' is necessary to complete the meaning of removal or disappearance.

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