shied away from
Kept one's distance
Shied away from means avoided or withdrew from something out of reluctance, fear, or discomfort.
The image is of a horse shying—startling and pulling back from something alarming.
People shy away from confrontation, commitment, or difficult subjects: He shied away from discussing his past.
The company shied away from controversial partnerships.
- reluctantUnwilling to act
- avoidedDeliberately stayed away from
- flinchedRecoiled involuntarily from threat
- balkedHesitated and refused
- evasiveAvoiding direct response
recoiled · shrank back · fear · ran scared · hesitant · cold feet · ducked · withdrawn · reticent · sidestepped · demurred · bashful · dread · wary · thought twice · coy · cautious · played it safe
shied away fromembraced
Held someone warmly
approached · leaned into · pursued · went after · chased
shied away fromconfronted
Challenged or opposed directly
faced · stood up to · tackled · took on · braved