shrink away
phrasal verb·1 sense·particle away
Meanings
Move back from someone or something out of fear or disgust
Why “away”? A person, object, look, or choice becomes more distant from its starting point.
“She shrank away from the spider.”
“The horse shrank away from the loud engine.”
Don't confuse with
Shrink away means move back from someone or something out of fear or disgust. Shrink back means recoil from something unpleasant.
Test yourself
“She shrank away from the spider.” What does it mean?
Nearby in the meaning map
Sink In connects verbs by particle pattern, contrast pairs, and shared base verbs.
shrink back
A contrast learners often mix up
Recoil from something unpleasant
back away
Same away pattern: leaving
Move away or distance yourself, often from fear or caution
break away
Same away pattern: leaving
Escape from someone holding you; Leave a group to form a separate one; Pull ahead of others in a race
call away
Same away pattern: leaving
Be required to leave because of an urgent matter
chase away
Same away pattern: leaving
Force someone or something to leave by chasing
come away
Same away pattern: leaving
Leave a place with a particular feeling or impression
drag away
Same away pattern: leaving
Force someone to leave a place reluctantly
draw away
Same away pattern: leaving
Move ahead of competitors by extending the lead
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