to steal away
4
6.3
- phrasal verb
- /stiːl əˈweɪ/
:
escabullirse
- After the party, she decided to steal away for a quiet walk along the beach without anyone noticing.
He stole away, and most of the rest of his life he spent on the oceans.
- He stole away, and most of the rest of his life he spent on the oceans.
Examples
-
They quietly steal away from the crowds to enjoy a moment of solitude in the garden.
-
In the early morning hours, he would steal away to the lake to watch the sunrise alone.
-
If you work at home, steal away to a small park.
Blog text (14) -
Soon the two young lovers stole away to the church up the street, picking up the required witnesses along the way.
Fiction book (1993) -
He stole away, and most of the rest of his life he spent on the oceans.
-
Miles kept me occupied while Flora stole away.
-
We stole away into the darkness, heading for Erewhon.
Fiction book (1999) -
Why in hell hadn't I had the nerve to steal away from the Scots earlier, whatever the risk?
Fiction book (1991) -
I made arrangements with them to fold up their tents like the arabs and silently steal away.
-
I'm sorry to trouble you with this, Mr. Lyndon, but I believe Master Bryan may have disobeyed your orders and stolen away to Doolan's farm.
Synonyms
699
2.8
To move or take something quietly so others do not notice
550
1.6
To leave secretly and quickly to get away from danger or control
260
3.7
To leave a place or person suddenly, often without saying goodbye
193
4.3
Move quietly so people do not see or hear you
147
3.7
To leave a place quickly and secretly to avoid trouble
125
3.7
To leave a place quietly so no one notices you
39
3.8
To leave a place quietly without anyone noticing
33
4.0
Leave a place quietly so others do not notice
32
3.4
To leave a place quietly without anyone noticing
28
8.1
Leave a place suddenly and secretly to avoid trouble or debt
17
3.6
To leave a place quietly without being noticed
12
7.2
To leave a place quickly and quietly to avoid something you should do
11
8.5
To leave quickly and secretly with money or things to avoid being caught
4
8.5
To leave a place quickly and secretly to avoid being caught
4
9.9
To leave a place suddenly without telling anyone to avoid trouble
1
7.7
To move quietly to the side and away so people do not notice you
To leave work or school suddenly to have secret fun instead of doing duties
To leave a place quickly and secretly, often taking things or someone
How Secretly
4
6.3
32
3.4
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'to leave quietly and secretly' is directly derivable from combining 'steal' (given here with the sense 'move quietly or slip away') with 'away' (indicating movement to another location). This verb + particle composition follows a regular English pattern and would be predictable to a B1 learner who knows both constituent meanings.
Etymology
The phrasal verb steal away comes from the image of someone slipping out like a thief: steal means to take secretly and away shows moving out, so the person quietly leaves a place without being seen. So the phrase means 'to leave quietly and secretly'.