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Keep away meaning

Keep away means to not go near someone or something. It can also mean to stop someone or something from coming near.

Check yourself: 3 questionsAll 6 phrasal verbs with keep

keep away

keep away · kept · keeping

B2No object+1 more meaning

Keep away from the edge of the cliff!

Keep away meanings and examples

2 meanings, each with its own CEFR level from Oxford Learner’s Dictionaries and the Cambridge Dictionary.

  1. 1not go near someone or something
  2. 2stop someone or something from coming near
  1. 1

    Not go near someone or something

    keep away

    B2No object

    • Keep away from the edge of the cliff!
    • I’m ill, so I’ll keep away from the baby.
    • Why didn’t you keep away from that dog?
  2. 2

    Stop someone or something from coming near

    keep something away

    B2Separable

    • Keep medicines away from children.
    • Mosquitoes love me, but this spray keeps them away.
    • We tried to keep the press away from the wedding.
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Is keep away separable?

When you stay away, keep away has no object; add from: keep away from the fire. When you stop something coming near, it is separable: keep the cat away, keep it away.

The saying An apple a day keeps the doctor away means eating well keeps you healthy. On labels: Keep away from heat.

Verb tenses for keep away

PresentI keep away · she keeps away
Pastkept away
Present perfecthave kept away
-ing formkeeping away

Common mistakes with keep away

What learners often say, and what to say instead.

  • Wrong: Keep away the fire!

    Right: Keep away from the fire!

    Use from before the thing to avoid.

  • Wrong: This candle keeps away them.

    Right: This candle keeps them away.

    A pronoun goes between keep and away.

  • Wrong: Keep out from the stove, it’s hot.

    Right: Keep away from the stove, it’s hot.

    For not going near, use keep away from.

Synonyms and opposites of keep away

Words close to it, and words that mean the opposite.

Similar

Opposite

  • come closemove near someone or something
  • approachformal, move towards

Keep away quiz

Three quick questions. Pick an answer to see if it is right and why.

  1. 1The sign at the zoo says: ___ from the bars.

  2. 2Choose the right sentence.

  3. 3“Garlic keeps vampires away,” jokes Ana. What does garlic do in the story?

More phrasal verbs with keep

All phrasal verbs with keep, by level, with an exercise

6 phrasal verbs start with keep. Test yourself on all of them in a few minutes.

Test yourself on keepTake the full test

Keep away FAQ

Questions people ask about keep away.

What does keep away from children mean on a label?

It means store the product where children cannot reach it, because it could hurt them.

What is the difference between keep away and stay away?

They mean the same when you avoid a place. Only keep can have an object: keep the dog away.

What is keep-away the game?

In US English, keep-away is a children’s game where two players throw a ball over a third player who tries to catch it.

Use keep away in real conversations

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