a mile away

Very easily. Always of something detected or observed. I can spot Paul from a mile away, just by the way he walks. After decades as an investigator, I can identify a con man a mile away. Be careful in the big city by yourself—crooks around here can spot a wide-eyed rube a mile away.

miles away

Noticeably distracted, unfocused, or lost in thought. Of course you don't remember me saying that—you were a miles away the whole time! Are you even listening to me? You seem a miles away.

miles away

If someone is miles away, they are completely unaware of what is happening or of what someone is saying, because they are thinking deeply about something else. Sorry, I was miles away. Could you repeat that? You didn't hear a word I said, did you? You were miles away.

See also: away, mile

Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed. © HarperCollins Publishers 2012

See also:

References in classic literature

Not having found a likely spot, they held on for the opposite bank a mile away. But midway they encountered an ice-jam which took an hour of heavy work to cross.

In a few minutes the far bank, a mile away, unobtrusively came into view, and ahead and behind, the whole frozen river could be seen, with off to the left a wide-extending range of sharp-cut, snow-covered mountains.

View in context

Typically, he is apprehended near the front door of the facility, but on more than one occasion he has been discovered nearly a mile away, having traversed the intersection of two dangerous roadways.

Between a rock and a hard place: navigate the legal constraints of involuntary. (Legal Briefs)

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