steer clear
Give wide berth
To steer clear is to avoid something or someone deliberately: I steer clear of office politics, She steered clear of her ex at the party.
The phrase evokes navigating a ship away from hazards.
It typically takes "of" after it.
- dodgeAvoid by quick movement
- bypassRoute that skirts obstacles
- duckWaterbird that quacks
- detourAlternate path around obstruction
- avoidStay away from
give the slip · eschew · sidestep · avert · escape · swerve · keep away · circumvent · veer · elude · shun · keep away from · stay away from · skirt · move away · keep your distance · abstain · evade
- avoidance wordsavoid, evade, dodge, sidestep, elude
- Nautical Idiomsbatten down the hatches, all hands on deck, smooth sailing, three sheets to the wind, in the same boat
- Back Offback off, hands off, butt out, step back, keep away
- deflectiondodge, block, parry, divert, redirect
- refusalsno, decline, no thanks, refuse, nope
- sea idiomsall at sea, dead in the water, smooth sailing, sink or swim, miss the boat
caution vs. risk-taking
steer cleartempt fate
Recklessly invite misfortune
dive in · plunge into · take risks · jump in · throw caution to the wind
clear, clearly, unclear, steer, cleared, clearing, clearance, steering, steered