stay away

VERB

avoid

Synonyms

STRONGEST

avert bypass dodge escape evade fend off shun sidestep ward off

STRONG

abstain circumvent deflect desist ditch divert duck elude eschew flee hide jump obviate recoil shake shirk shy skip skirt weave withdraw

WEAK

circumlocute cold-shoulder fake out give the slip hold off keep clear lay low run for cover shake and bake shake off shrink from shuffle off skip out on skip town stay out steer clear of step aside turn aside

Antonyms

STRONGEST

face meet

STRONG

allow help permit stay take on

WEAK

seek want

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The scene is stable, the chief said, but the public should stay away from the area as firefighting efforts continue.

From BBC • May 26, 2026

Thaksin "may stay away for a couple months, but he will not leave politics", she said.

From Barron's • May 10, 2026

He said Linden acted as if nothing had happened, and James tried to stay away from him during the rest of the trip.

From BBC • May 6, 2026

In 2024, nearly six million people refused to stay away from the only city on Earth where the streets are water and the buses are boats.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 2, 2026

Of course, I will be all right, he told himself, pretending to be brave, but I will be careful to stay away from Miss K’s toothpaste.

From "Ralph S. Mouse" by Beverly Cleary

stay away

Example Sentences

Related Words