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Synonyms

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.


Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

It has become common for the justices to write books, but they steer clear of writing about the work of the court.

From Los Angeles Times Jul. 26, 2026

Rob Loft, of Yor-Pest Control, said he tended to "steer clear" of shooting the birds but "in tricky places, for public health, it's got to be done".

From BBC Jul. 24, 2026

It’s also better to steer clear of utilities in the Southeastern U.S., where regulators have been generous on allowable rate increases.

From MarketWatch Jun. 16, 2026

So conservative investors may want to steer clear of Bitcoin and other cryptos.

From Barron's Jun. 5, 2026

Better to steer clear of an occasion governed by a rule which would be so easy to break.

From "The Giver" by Lois Lowry

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