Frequency: The word is one of the 700 most common words in English.
Note: In addition to the uses shown below, '~' is used in the phrasal verbs ‘do ~’, ‘go ~’, and ‘reckon ~’.
1.
You use ~ to indicate that someone or something does not have or use the thing mentioned.
I don’t like myself ~ a beard...
She wore a brown shirt pressed ~ a wrinkle.
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2.
If one thing happens ~ another thing, or if you do something ~ doing something else, the second thing does not happen or occur.
He was offered a generous pension provided he left ~ a fuss...
They worked ~ a break until about eight in the evening...
Alex had done this ~ consulting her.
PREP: PREP n/-ing
3.
If you do something ~ a particular feeling, you do not have that feeling when you do it.
Janet Magnusson watched his approach ~ enthusiasm...
‘Hello, Swanson,’ he said ~ surprise.
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4.
If you do something ~ someone else, they are not in the same place as you are or are not involved in the same action as you.
I told Franklin he would have to start dinner ~ me...
How can I rebuild my life ~ my husband?...
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