steer clear of

Idioms and Phrases

Stay away from, avoid, as in Dad warned us to steer clear of Dr. Smith and his poor advice . This idiom alludes to guiding a vessel away from some obstacle. Its figurative use was first recorded in 1723.

Example Sentences

Morgan, 25, from Liverpool, said he warned all his friends to steer clear of buy now, pay later.

From BBC

Now we approach our fellow Americans with a certain wariness, and steer clear of a growing list of subjects, lest we inadvertently trigger an embarrassing scene.

From Salon

Public resentment of China in Vietnam, where such feelings are never far from the surface, is also something the Vietnamese government will want to steer clear of.

From BBC

When it comes to storing your backyard bounty for the long haul, Gogol recommends putting it in airtight Mylar bags, Mason jars or tins — but to steer clear of the old-school Ziploc bag.

From Los Angeles Times

In part, this is grounded in an overarching consumer preference: When given the choice, people still tend to steer clear of imperfect items in favor of those that look like they think they should.

From Salon

Related Words

• baffle
• confound
• dodge
• evade
• flee
• foil
• frustrate
• outrun
• outwit
• puzzle
• shun
• stall
• stonewall
• thwart