shy away from
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Meaning · English
To avoid out of fear or caution.
Where it’s used:
Used
American English
Examples
The Conan O’Brien-penned half-hour has the capacity to rip our collective hearts out the way the cute, funny bad girl next door does to Bart when she reveals that her new boyfriend is Jimbo Jones, but the show keeps shying away from genuine emotion in favor of jokes that, while overwhelmingly funny,
Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30)
Sources & notes
Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).
Common questions
What does “shy away from” mean?
To avoid out of fear or caution.
Is “shy away from” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.