# scare away

CEFR B1 · Phrasal verb

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/scare-away
Updated: 2026-10-22

## Definition

to make a person or animal feel frightened so that they leave. You use this when you want to get rid of something by being scary or loud.

For teachers: To cause a person or animal to depart through fear or intimidation. The verb is transitive and can be used figuratively to describe discouraging potential participants or customers.

## Examples

- The loud noise will scare away the birds.
- If you keep shouting at the customers, you will scare away all our business.
- The sudden appearance of the predator was enough to scare away the entire herd, leaving the watering hole deserted within seconds.

## Pitfalls

- Not "The dog scared away of the cat." but "The dog scared away the cat." — no preposition like 'of' is needed between the particle and the object.

## Usage notes

- The object can be placed between 'scare' and 'away' or after the whole phrase.
- Teaching tip: Compare with 'scare off', which is almost identical in meaning but sometimes implies a more permanent departure.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.