Phrasal Verbs with Away: Meanings, Examples and Everyday Use

Hello English learners. Welcome to a new lesson. Do you want to learn useful phrasal verbs with away in English? In this lesson, you will learn 13 common phrasal verbs with away, including their meanings, examples, and how to use them in everyday English. These expressions will help you sound more natural in speaking and writing.

Are you going away for the weekend? Have you ever given something away, walked away from an argument, or got away with doing something naughty? If these expressions sound familiar but slightly confusing, this lesson is for you.

In today’s post, we are going to look at 13 useful phrasal verbs with away. These phrasal verbs are very common in everyday English, and learning them in context will help you understand and remember them much more easily.

Let’s get away from confusion and into clarity.

1. Get away

The phrasal verb get away has a few common meanings.

First, it can mean to go somewhere for a break or holiday, especially when you need rest.

Examples:

I’d love to get away for a week. I’m fed up with work.

We’re getting away to the coast next weekend.

It can also mean to escape from a place or situation.

Examples:

Do you think you’ll be able to get away from work a bit earlier today?

We were lucky to get away before the traffic got any worse.

2. Get away with

Get away with means to do something wrong or illegal and not be punished for it.

Examples:

He lied to everyone, but somehow he got away with it.

She can’t keep breaking the rules and getting away with it.

It can also mean to manage with less than usual or to do something successfully even though it may not be ideal.

Example:

We haven’t got any cream, but I think we can get away with milk instead.

3. Go away

Go away often means to leave a place, usually for a trip or short break.

Examples:

Lorna is packing because she’s going away for the weekend.

Peter has gone away on business.

It can also mean to leave someone alone, especially when said as a command.

Examples:

Just go away and leave me alone.

He told the reporters to go away.

A third meaning is to disappear.

Examples:

The smell eventually went away.

I had a headache this morning, but it’s gone away now.

4. Drive away

If you drive away, you leave a place in a car.

Examples:

When I got home, I saw Mum driving away to work.

Jane got into her car and drove away.

If something drives someone away, it makes them want to leave.

Examples:

High prices are driving customers away.

His rude behaviour drove his friends away.

5. Give away

Give away means to give something to someone for free, often because you no longer need it.

Examples:

I’ve got some clothes I want to give away to charity.

They were giving away free samples outside the shop.

It can also be used in weddings. If someone gives the bride away, they accompany her and formally present her at the ceremony.

Example:

At Sara’s wedding, she was given away by her father.

6. Take away

Take away means to remove something.

Examples:

The waiter came and took away our plates.

A long walk usually takes my stress away.

In British English, it can also refer to food that you buy and eat somewhere else.

Example:

Could I have a coffee and a sandwich to take away, please?

7. Run away

Run away means to escape from a person, place, or situation.

Examples:

The child ran away from home but came back the next day.

She wanted to run away from all her problems.

You can also run away with someone, which means to leave with them suddenly, often in a romantic or dramatic way.

Example:

She shocked everyone by running away with a man she had only known for a month.

8. Keep away

Keep away means to avoid someone or something.

Examples:

The doctor told him to keep away from crowded places for a few days.

Keep away from the wet paint.

If something keeps you away, it prevents you from going somewhere.

Example:

A bad cold kept her away from work all week.

9. Put away

Put away means to put something back in the place where it belongs.

Examples:

Jennifer folded the clothes and put them away in the wardrobe.

Please put the dishes away after they’ve dried.

It can also mean to save money, though that use is a little different.

Example:

She tries to put away a little money every month.

10. Throw away

Throw away means to get rid of something because you do not want or need it anymore.

Examples:

Don’t throw those papers away — I still need them.

He threw away the empty bottle.

It can also be used for wasting an opportunity.

Example:

She had a great chance to study abroad, but she threw it away.

11. Fade away

Fade away means to become weaker, less clear, or gradually disappear.

Examples:

As he grew older, his memories of the accident slowly faded away.

I heard their voices fading away in the distance.

This phrasal verb is often used for sounds, memories, feelings, colours, and light.

12. Shy away

Shy away from something means to avoid it because it makes you nervous, uncomfortable, or uncertain.

Examples:

She never shies away from a challenge.

Many people shy away from speaking in public.

It suggests hesitation rather than complete refusal.

13. Walk away

Walk away means to leave a difficult, unpleasant, or dangerous situation instead of staying in it.

Examples:

Sometimes the best thing you can do in an argument is walk away.

She warned her children to recognise danger and walk away from it.

It can also mean to leave something behind, such as a relationship, a deal, or a job.

Example:

He decided to walk away from the business after years of stress.

Final thoughts

Phrasal verbs with away are extremely useful because they appear in so many everyday situations. Some describe movement, such as go away, drive away, and run away. Others describe emotions, reactions, or decisions, such as shy away, walk away, and get away with.

The best way to learn them is not by staring at a list like it owes you money, but by seeing them in context and using them in your own sentences. Try choosing five of these phrasal verbs and writing a short dialogue or paragraph with them.

That way, they will not just stay in your notebook — they will actually become part of your English.

Do the quiz to perfect your knowledge