Right Away

I will tell you right away, I mean immediately, how to use away. You’re probably familiar with far being accompanied by away to emphasize a long distance: My children live far away! And you’ve probably seen away followed by from to show where something originates. My children live far away from me.

Away is a useful adverb that can be placed after verbs to suggest position or movement. Sometimes the difference in position and movement is very subtle. After other verbs, it can also suggest a continuous action or disappearance. See if you can understand the meaning of the verb-away combinations within the context of the sentences below. 

When talking about position, away has a meaning similar to not present.

The boss is away on a business trip. The boss went away on a business trip.

If you don’t want any trouble, you’d better keep away from there.

Stay away from me, or I’ll scream!

When talking about movement, away has a meaning similar to separate.

Go away! You’re bothering me.

We are a week away from going on vacation.

He ran away from the crowd. The player broke away from the defenders.

They chased the strangers away from the bar.

The injured person was carried away on a stretcher.

I got away as soon as I could to be with you.

The lovers sailed away into the horizon.

Put that gun away before you have an accident.

The photos were so disgusting, she had to look away.

First, she turned away from him and then, she walked away without looking back.

Away after certain verbs can mean continuously.

The soldiers fired away until they had no ammunition left.

She pounded away on the drums all night long.

He was exhausted after slaving away on the reports.

Laugh away if you want but you’ll be sorry later.

 

Of course, there is always the possibility that once something goes away, it stays away and never comes back, which gives away another connotation, disappearance.

He didn’t have a penny in his pocket after he gambled away his money.

Wind and rain had worn away the statues features into an unrecognizable face.

He couldn’t remember what she looked like. Her face had faded away in his mind over time.

Our dog was very old, it was just a question of time before it passed away.

The gangsters did away with the competition and left no evidence.

There are some common expressions using away.

To get away with something means to not get caught.

He got away with cheating on the exam.

If you want to exaggerate, you can say: You always get away with murder.

To get carried away by something means that something excites you very much.

She got carried away by the music and started to dance.

But if someone is a little more excited about something than they should be, we tell them: Don’t get carried away.

There are a few verb-away combinations that have been popularized into nouns, like the ones below.

They spend their weekends in their mountain hideaway.

The prices were so low, it was a giveaway sale.

They decided to stay at home and order a takeaway dinner instead of going out for dinner with their friends.

And away we go!