make (oneself) scarce

make (oneself) scarce

To leave, hide, or make oneself less visible, typically to avoid something. Lisa's fuming about your text message, so you better make yourself scarce until she calms down. Why is it that when there are chores to do, the kids somehow know to make themselves scarce?

See also: make, scarce

Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2015 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.

make oneself scarce

Fig. [for someone] to become difficult to find; [for someone to] go into hiding. Tom is mad and is looking for you. Better make yourself scarce. Make yourself scarce! Here comes the sheriff.

See also: make, scarce

McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

make oneself scarce

Depart quickly, go away, as in The children saw Mrs. Frost coming and made themselves scarce. This idiom applies scarce in the sense of "seldom seen" to removing one's presence. [c. 1800]

See also: make, scarce

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

make yourself scarce

surreptitiously disappear; keep out of the way. informal

See also: make, scarce

Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017

ˌmake yourself ˈscarce

(informal) leave the place you are in in order to avoid an embarrassing or difficult situation: I could see they wanted to be alone, so I made myself scarce.

See also: make, scarce

Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017

make oneself scarce

tv. to leave; to be in a place less frequently; to be less in evidence. Here come the boys in blue. I’d better make myself scarce.

See also: make, scarce

McGraw-Hill's Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions Copyright © 2006 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

make (oneself) scarce

Informal

1. To stay away; be absent or elusive.

2. To depart, especially quickly or furtively; abscond.

See also: make, scarce

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.