Sign In Get Started
Preposition after adjective

Away with, in or of?

Away is usually used with from to show distance. Away with is an idiomatic phrase with a different meaning, while away in and away of are not standard adjective patterns.

Quick answer

Which preposition is used with away?

As an adjective or adverb, away is most commonly followed by from: away from home. Away with is a fixed expression meaning remove or reject something. Away in and away of are generally not standard combinations after away.

She is away from work today.
The slogan was Away with corruption!
He stayed away from trouble

Choose the pattern by meaning

These forms are not interchangeable. Choose the construction by meaning, not by which preposition appears most often.

1
away from + place

Showing distance from somewhere

Use away from to indicate separation or distance.

They moved away from the city
2
away from + person or thing

Avoiding someone or something

Away from can also mean avoiding contact.

Keep away from the edge.
3
away with + noun

Calling for removal

Away with is an idiomatic expression meaning get rid of something.

Away with these old rules!
4
be away + time expression

Describing absence

Away can appear without a following preposition when talking about absence.

She will be away all week

See the difference in context

The same subject can take different constructions because each sentence answers a different question.

Construction
Example
Meaning
away from
He lives away from his family.
distant or separated
away with
Away with unnecessary paperwork!
remove or reject something
away in
They were away in London.
Not a standard adjective pattern; say away in London only when in introduces a separate place phrase.
away of
She stayed away of the crowd.
Nonstandard; use away from instead.

Common mistakes

Some combinations appear in real text but do not mean what learners often assume.

Using away of instead of away from

English uses from after away for distance or avoidance.

✕ Stay away of the fire. ✓ Stay away from the fire.

Treating away with as a normal adjective pattern

Away with is mainly an idiomatic exclamation or set phrase.

✕ He is away with his parents. ✓ He is away from his parents.

Confusing away in with a fixed combination

In usually belongs to a separate place phrase, not to away itself.

✕ She is away in grammar. ✓ She is away from class.

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. Keep ___ the wet paint.
2. ___ these outdated policies!
3. Which sentence is standard English?

Check your sentence in context

Paste the complete sentence below. Linguix checks the preposition together with grammar, spelling, punctuation, and style.

Free to try · No signup required

Frequently asked questions

Is away in ever correct?

It can appear before a separate location phrase, as in away in Spain, but in is not selected by away itself.

What does away with mean?

It means remove, abolish, or reject something.

Can away be used without a preposition?

Yes. You can say someone is away today or away on business.

abhorrent-to-in-for-of, about "ablaze with" or "ablaze in"? "able for" or "able in"? "abreast of" or "abreast with"? "absent from" or "absent in"? absolute in, for, of, to or as? "absurd to", "absurd in" or "absurd for"? abundant in, with, of, on or for? "abusive to", "abusive in" or "abusive towards"? "academic in" or "academic at"? "acceptable to" or "acceptable for"? accessible to, by, for, from or in?

Write with confidence in Linguix

Create a free account to check complete texts, apply suggestions, and save your documents.

Create a free account