come away
1. To step or otherwise move away from something. Please come away from those rickety old steps before you hurt yourself. Would you come away from the fireplace? You're making me nervous! Hey, you better come away from the edge of the pool unless you want to fall in!
2. To travel somewhere. Often used in the sense of a romantic getaway. Come away with me to the islands, my darling. You're welcome to come away to my vacation home anytime you like. Why don't you come away with me to my cozy cottage in the mountains?
3. To be removed, as of a substance from a surface. This sticky goo just isn't coming away from the table, no matter how much I scrub it. I've never had one of these things just come away from the wall, like they so easily do in the commercials. I always end up taking some of the paint off the wall. Have you tried baby oil? That should make the sticky residue from your bandage come right off.
4. To depart from something, such as an experience, event, etc., typically after its completion. In this usage, the phrase is often followed by "with" and something acquired by the end of the experience. It's miraculous that you only came away from that accident with a broken arm. I came away from student teaching with a whole new respect for teachers everywhere. While I did come away from college with a degree, I still had no idea what I wanted to do with my life.
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
come away
v.1. To leave, relinquish, or abandon a place in favor of another place: Come away with me to New York. We should come away to the country more often.
2. To be removed from a surface: When I sprayed water on the table, the dust came away very easily.
3. come away with To finish a process or event, having something as a result: Luckily, the driver came away from the accident with only a broken finger. She came away with first place in the competition.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Phrasal Verbs. Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.