Phrasal verb
ghost away
Definition
phrasal verb. to move someone or something away quietly and secretly so that nobody notices.
phrasal verb. to remove or spirit someone or something away in a stealthy, surreptitious manner; often used in the passive voice to describe a disappearance.
Examples
“The guards ghosted the witness away through a back door.”
“Before the reporters could ask any questions, the celebrity was ghosted away in a black car.”
“The rare manuscripts were ghosted away from the library under the cover of night, leaving no trace of the theft for the morning staff.”
Examples
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.”
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.
Phrasal verb
Particles
away
Separability
optional
Pattern
ghost + object + away
Synonyms
Antonyms
Grammar
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/ghost-away