steer clear of

Idioms  

1. 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.

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Example Sentences

And after several years of incredible gains for shares of dominant chip makers amid the boom in generative artificial intelligence, it might be best to steer clear of competition at the top — and focus more on companies that provide essential equipment and services to semiconductor manufacturers.

From MarketWatch

She donned a lengthy mind-flayer dress to the screening and said she'd attempted in vain to steer clear of various fan theories that have been going viral on social media because she wanted to be "blown away" by the final episode.

From BBC

Buffett said to “be very careful who you work for because you will take on the habits of the people around you. Some people may be making “more money” through “stupid things” or risky activities, he added, but he advised investors and fans to steer clear of those.

From MarketWatch

Opponents of the state’s system say people don’t really steal cows out of feedlots anymore, and that some cattlemen now steer clear of Nebraska because of its requirements.

From The Wall Street Journal

Policymakers must steer clear of legislative proposals that could artificially accelerate a reduction in consumer spending.

From Barron's

Related Words

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