Particle guide
Phrasal verbs with away
The particle away starts from one core idea — increasing distance. Sink In groups its verbs by the recurring ways that idea plays out, so verbs that look unrelated line up into patterns.
78 phrasal verbs · 6 meaning groups
Leaving
A person, object, look, or choice becomes more distant from its starting point.
Usual verb + particle uses
The verb keeps its normal meaning. The particle adds its usual direction or relation.
back away
Move away or distance yourself, often from fear or caution
“She backed away slowly.”
“The child backed away from the dog.”
“He backed away from his earlier statement.”
“They backed away from the deal.”
chase away
Force someone or something to leave by chasing
“He chased the cat away.”
“The dog chased the birds away from the seed.”
drag away
Force someone to leave a place reluctantly
“I had to drag him away from the screen.”
“Her friends had to drag her away from the party.”
drive away
Leave by car
“She drove away without saying goodbye.”
“The taxi drove away after the last passenger stepped onto the pavement.”
Force someone to leave or stay away
“His attitude drives people away.”
“The loud music drives customers away.”
fly away
Depart by air or rapidly
“Birds fly away as winter approaches.”
“The pigeons flew away when the dog barked.”
keep away
Stay at a distance from someone or something
“Keep away from the edge.”
“Keep away from the broken glass.”
look away
Turn your eyes in a different direction
“She looked away in shame.”
“He looked away during the scary scene.”
pull away
Leave by driving away from a stop
“The bus pulled away just as we arrived.”
“The coach pulled away while I was buying a ticket.”
sail away
Depart by ship
“The ferry sailed away at dawn.”
“The fishing boat sailed away before sunrise.”
send away
Order someone to leave
“She sent him away.”
“The club guard sent Maya and Leo away after checking the list.”
sneak away
Leave secretly to avoid notice
“The kids sneaked away from class.”
“The boys sneaked away from the campsite.”
stay away
Avoid going to a place or person
“Stay away from the wet paint.”
“Maya stays away from her old boss.”
Removal
A broom sweeps aside. Unwanted items are pushed out of the scene.
Storage
A person or thing is placed somewhere and kept there, often hidden or saved for later.
Persistence
Away can mean you keep doing something for a while. You write away, chat away, or work away.
Fading
Something slowly becomes weaker until it is gone.
After an Experience
When an experience ends, an idea, feeling, or impression remains in your mind.
Sink In — iOS & Android
Practice the away patterns in Sink In
The app turns each meaning group into short review cards: recognition, particle cloze, meaning-to-particle recall, and schema matching.
- Learn the pattern behind dozens of verbs at once — not one-off translations.
- Spaced repetition (SM-2) brings each meaning back right before you forget.
- Four practice modes train recall and discrimination, not just recognition.
