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Prepositions after verbs

Steer away or steer by?

Steer away means avoid something. Steer by means guide or navigate using something as a reference.

Quick answer

When to use steer away and steer by

Use steer away from for avoiding a subject, danger, or behaviour. Use steer by for navigation or guidance based on rules, principles, or instruments.

The discussion quickly steered away from politics.
Sailors once steered by the stars.
Parents try to steer children away from harmful content.

Choose the pattern by meaning

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

1
steer away from + danger/topic

Avoiding something

Use steer away from to describe avoiding a person, subject, risk, or activity.

We should steer away from unnecessary conflict.
The interview steered away from personal questions.
2
steer by + guide/reference

Using something for guidance

Use steer by when navigation or decisions are based on a guide, rule, or principle.

They steered by the lighthouse beam.
She steers by clear ethical principles.
3
steer toward + goal/place

Moving in a direction

Use steer toward to show movement or progress toward a target or outcome.

The company is steering toward digital services.
4
steer clear of + problem

Keeping away from something

Steer clear of is a common idiom meaning avoid completely.

Tourists were told to steer clear of the closed area.

See the difference in context

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

Construction
Example
Meaning
steer away from
He steered away from the argument.
avoid something
steer by
Pilots used to steer by the stars.
navigate or make decisions using a guide
steer toward
The team is steering toward a new strategy.
move in a direction
steer clear of
I steer clear of online rumours.
avoid completely

Common mistakes

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

Using steer away without from

Steer away normally takes from before the thing avoided.

✕ They steered away the topic. ✓ They steered away from the topic.

Using steer by for avoidance

Steer by means use as guidance, not avoid.

✕ She steered by unhealthy food. ✓ She steered away from unhealthy food.

Confusing physical and figurative meanings

Steer by can be literal or figurative, but the meaning is guidance.

✕ We steer by noisy neighbours. ✓ We steer by customer feedback.

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. The captain steered ___ the lighthouse signal.
2. The speaker tried to steer ___ controversial issues.
3. The project is steering ___ a more sustainable model.

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Frequently asked questions

Can steer by be used figuratively?

Yes. It can mean making decisions according to principles, data, or advice.

Do we say steer away or steer away from?

Steer away is possible alone, but steer away from is used before the thing being avoided.

Is steer by common in everyday conversation?

It appears in both literal navigation and figurative discussions about guidance or principles.

sack, by, sack, for, sack, from "sacrifice for" or "sacrifice to"? sail from, in, for, to or through? "salvage from" or "salvage in"? sanction by, for, in, with or according? satisfy with, by, in, about or after? "saturate with" or "saturate in"? save by, for, from, on or in? "say in", "say about" or "say to"? "scan for", "scan in" or "scan through"? "scar by" or "scar on"? scatter in, across, around, throughout or on?

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