scare off

scare (someone or an animal) off

to frighten someone or an animal away. The dog's barking scared the burglar off. The barking scared off the prowler.

See also: scare

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scare off somebody/something also scare somebody/something off

to cause someone or something to go or stay away scare away somebody/something In summer, when you walked through a field of dry grass, you stamped your feet to scare off snakes. A deadly outbreak of “bird flu” in Hong Kong has killed six people and scared off tourists. Intensive border patrols probably scared smugglers off.

See also: scare

scare off somebody also scare away somebody

to cause someone not to invest money in something A TV show as experimental and unusual as this one could scare off advertisers. The country's financial crisis has scared away potential foreign investors.

See also: scare