What Does “Blink sth away” Mean?
“Blink sth away” means to quickly get rid of something by blinking your eyes, usually tears or dust. It describes the action of removing something small and unwanted from your eyes.
Introduction
The phrase “blink sth away” is often used when someone removes tears, dust, or other small particles from their eyes by blinking. This phrasal verb is useful in everyday English, especially when describing emotions or physical reactions. The Blink sth away meaning involves a quick, natural action that clears the eyes without using hands. It’s common in both spoken and written English, helping you describe situations with more detail and emotion.
Quick Info Box
- Phrasal verb: blink something away
- Type: transitive
- Level: B1 (Intermediate)
- Short meaning: to remove tears or dust by blinking
Structure (Grammar Rules)
“Blink sth away” is a separable phrasal verb. This means the object (something) comes between “blink” and “away.”
- Correct pattern: blink + object + away (e.g., blink the tears away)
- Incorrect pattern: blink away + object (e.g., blink away the tears – this is less common but sometimes used)
Most often, the object is a noun referring to something small like “tears,” “dust,” or “water.”
How to Use “Blink sth away”?
Use “blink sth away” when you want to describe quickly removing something from your eyes by blinking. It’s often used for tears, dust, or small particles. This phrasal verb can describe physical actions or emotional moments, like blinking tears away after feeling sad.
It is more common in informal or conversational English. You can also use it in writing to create vivid imagery.
Examples
- She blinked the tears away before anyone could see her crying.
- He blinked the dust away after walking through the windy street.
- Try to blink the water away instead of rubbing your eyes.
- They blinked the sadness away and smiled for the photo.
- Blink the sweat away to clear your vision during the game.
Here are some examples of blink sth away in a sentence, showing natural use.
Common Mistakes
- Incorrect: Blink away tears
Correct: Blink the tears away - Incorrect: Blink away the dust (less common)
Correct: Blink the dust away - Incorrect: Blink tears
Correct: Blink the tears away
Differences / Synonyms
Similar phrasal verbs include:
- Brush sth away: to remove something by brushing it off, often with your hand.
- Wipe sth away: to remove something by wiping, usually with a cloth or hand.
- Shake sth off: to get rid of something by shaking your body.
Unlike these, “blink sth away” specifically involves removing something from the eyes by blinking. It’s more subtle and natural, without using hands.
Common Collocations
- blink the tears away
- blink the dust away
- blink the water away
- blink the sweat away
- blink the sadness away
Related Phrasal Verbs
Here are related phrasal verbs of blink sth away:
Real-life Dialogue
Anna: Are you okay? You look like you’ve been crying.
Ben: Yeah, I just blinked the tears away. I didn’t want anyone to notice.
Anna: Sometimes blinking them away helps, but it’s okay to let it out.
Practice
Fill in the blanks with the correct form of “blink sth away”:
- She __________ the tears __________ before entering the room.
- He tried to __________ the dust __________ after the windy day.
- Don’t rub your eyes; just __________ the water __________.
FAQs
- What does “blink sth away” mean? It means to remove something, like tears or dust, from your eyes by blinking.
- Is “blink away” the same as “blink sth away”? “Blink away” is less common and usually incomplete; “blink sth away” is the correct form with an object.
- Can I use “blink away” without an object? No, you need to mention what you are blinking away, such as tears or dust.
- Is “blink sth away” formal or informal? It is more informal and used in everyday conversation and writing.
- What are common objects with “blink away”? Tears, dust, water, sweat, and sadness are commonly used with this phrase.
