get away

British  

verb

1. to make an escape; leave

2. to make a start

3. 1. to steal and escape (with money, goods, etc)

   2. to do (something wrong, illegal, etc) without being discovered or punished or with only a minor punishment

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interjection

1. an exclamation indicating mild disbelief

noun

1. the act of escaping, esp by criminals

2. a start or acceleration

3. (modifier) used for escaping

   a getaway car

get away Idioms  

1. Break free, escape, as in The suspect ran down the street and got away , or I wanted to come but couldn't get away from the office . [c. 1300] A variant is get away from it all , meaning “to depart and leave one's surroundings or problems or work behind.” For example, Joe is taking a few days off—he needs to get away from it all .

2. Start out or leave quickly, as in The greyhounds got away from the starting gate , or I thought I had the answer but it got away from me .

3. Go, move off. For example, Get away from my desk! or Get away—I don't want you near that hot stove . [Late 1700s] Also see get away with .

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Example Sentences

“When you stop running from a shadow, stop trying to get away,” said Neville, “then there’s no running anymore. He could just be Paul.”

From Salon

At first, I felt vaguely conspiratorial — like I was getting away with something.

From Salon

Mays’ Salieri is at once aghast at such loutish behavior and bitterly envious that Mozart is exceptional enough to get away with it.

From Los Angeles Times

“Sure,” the girl said, but Jonah had the impression that she was just trying to get away.

From Literature

In reality, people get away with really bad things and that’s one of the scary truths of the show.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

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