KEEP AWAY

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does keep away mean? 

• KEEP AWAY (verb)
  The verb KEEP AWAY has 1 sense:

1. prevent from coming close

  Familiarity information: KEEP AWAY used as a verb is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• KEEP AWAY (verb)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Prevent from coming close

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

Context example:

I tried to keep the child away from the pool

Hypernyms (to "keep away" is one way to...):

keep; prevent (stop (someone or something) from doing something or being in a certain state)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something from somebody
Somebody ----s somebody PP

 Context examples 

You have an unusual buildup of planets in your house of confidential matters, so you may be working on a secret project for your firm, one you must keep away from prying eyes.

(AstrologyZone.com, by Susan Miller)

She had known it would irritate and distress her; she had known it her duty to keep away.

(Mansfield Park, by Jane Austen)

It is better for people to keep away from Oz, unless they have business with him.

(The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, by L. Frank Baum)

At last the third also came with the like intent, and the others screamed out: “Keep away; for goodness’ sake keep away!”

(Fairy Tales, by The Brothers Grimm)

Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI) Does he/she play childish pranks such as pinching or playing "keep away" for the fun of it?

(NPI - Play Childish Pranks, NCI Thesaurus)

I say let him keep away, said Mr. Creakle, striking his hand upon the table, and looking at Mrs. Creakle, for he knows me.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

Hands were things to keep away from.

(White Fang, by Jack London)

I returned with the articles in time to hear the Cockney hinting broadly that there was a mystery about him, that he might be a gentleman’s son gone wrong or something or other; also, that he was a remittance man and was paid to keep away from England—p’yed ’ansomely, sir, was the way he put it; p’yed ’ansomely to sling my ’ook an’ keep slingin’ it.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)

She had too old a regard for him to be so wholly estranged as might in two meetings extinguish every past hope, and leave him nothing to do but to keep away from Uppercross: but there was such a change as became very alarming, when such a man as Captain Wentworth was to be regarded as the probable cause.

(Persuasion, by Jane Austen)

But she did not understand why she was to keep away.

(Fairy Tales, by The Brothers Grimm)