to sidle away
1
7.7
- phrasal verb
- /ˈsaɪdəl əˈweɪ/
- Feeling uncomfortable with the conversation, she quietly sidled away from the group.
Examples
-
It feels poisonous to me, and I find myself sidling away from very angry people even when I basically agree with them.
Blog text (5) -
The brown mare tried to sidle away, then threw herself back on her haunches, twisting, ready to rear.
Fiction book (1992) -
The bird sidles away from the other bird.
Fiction book (1992) -
Harrison was wearing striped pants, and before Mr. Fox could speak to him, he sidled away like a crab into the crowd.
Fiction book (1993) -
He had sidled away and sat dejectedly on the flower pot.
Fiction book (1999) -
The goats began to sidle away, and she took a halfhearted whack at the nearest with the stick she held.
Fiction book (1993) -
As the argument escalated, he decided to sidle away before things got too heated.
-
Not wanting to disturb anyone, she sidled away from the event without saying goodbye.
Synonyms
926
1.0
To leave a place or person and go somewhere else
876
3.5
Leave a person, place, or situation without taking part anymore
443
2.8
Move away from someone, or stop taking part in something
225
4.0
To move back from a place or plan to avoid danger
167
3.7
To leave a place quietly so no one notices you
153
3.5
To move away from people or a place to create space
55
3.4
To leave a place quietly without anyone noticing
35
4.0
Leave a place quietly so others do not notice
32
4.9
Leave a person because they are angry with you
31
3.8
To leave a place quietly without anyone noticing
29
4.4
To move back from a place or activity to avoid danger and trouble
26
6.7
To move quietly and carefully to avoid being seen
21
3.6
To leave a place quietly without being noticed
20
6.3
To leave a meeting or party quietly so no one notices
17
7.2
To leave a place quickly and quietly to avoid something you should do
12
8.1
To move slowly and quietly to the side to avoid being noticed
How Stealthy
Surface Forms
Morphology
The verb 'sidle' already encodes a quiet, sideways movement to avoid attention, and adding 'away' simply indicates movement away from a person or place. This V + away compositional pattern is a standard motion construction in English, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents can derive the MWE meaning.
Etymology
Sidle away comes from the picture of someone moving slowly and sideways, sidle, and quietly leaving, away, along a wall or past people so others do not notice. That's why it means 'to move away quietly' or to leave without drawing attention.