1 A2 neutral
To move away from a place or person by rolling.
"The coin rolled away under the sofa before she could catch it."
separable
roll away
A2 neutral separable transitive/intransitive
To move away from a place by rolling, or to cause something to move away by rolling.
In plain English
To roll and move away from where something was.
What does "roll away" mean?
3 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 A2 neutral
To push or cause something to move away by rolling.
"They rolled the heavy stone away from the entrance to the cave."
“
And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb.
— Luke 24:2, The Bible (NIV)
separable
3 B2 idiomatic neutral
(Of mist, clouds, or trouble) to recede or disappear gradually.
"As the morning fog rolled away, the mountain peaks came slowly into view."
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To move away from a location by rolling — mostly transparent.
Actually means
To roll and move away from where something was.
Usage tip
Both transitive ('roll the barrel away') and intransitive ('the ball rolled away') uses are common. Also used figuratively for clouds, mist, or problems dispersing. The figurative uses tend to be literary or poetic.
Words that pair with "roll away"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
ball stone barrel clouds mist fog tears years
How to conjugate "roll away"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
roll away
I/you/we/they
3rd person
rolls away
he/she/it
Past simple
rolled away
yesterday
Past participle
rolled away
have + pp
-ing form
rolling away
continuous
Hear "roll away" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "roll away" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
Keep exploring
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