getaway

American  

[get-uh-wey] / ˈgɛt əˌweɪ /

noun

• getaways
  plural

1. a getting away or fleeing; an escape.

2. the start of a race.

   a fast getaway.

3. a place where one escapes for relaxation, vacation, etc., or a period of time for such recreation.

   a little seaside getaway; a two-week getaway in the Bahamas.

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adjective

1. used as a means of escape or fleeing.

   a stolen getaway car.

2. used for occasional relaxation, retreat, or reclusion.

   a weekend getaway house.

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• getaways
  plural

Etymology

Origin of getaway

First recorded in 1850–55; noun use of verb phrase get away

Explanation

A getaway is a speedy escape, like the getaway bank robbers make when they flee the crime scene in a car. The word getaway is so often used for fleeing criminals that it's also a way to describe the vehicle they use: "Follow that getaway car!" A completely different type of getaway is a vacation, like your family's weekend getaway to the Catskills last summer. The "escape" meaning is older, and it originally referred to foxes that eluded hunters.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

getaway getaways

About an hour from downtown Milwaukee, Lake Lawn Resort on Delavan Lake makes an easy all-season getaway.

From Salon ● Sep. 8, 2026

From Leonardo DiCaprio’s 104-acre escape off the coast of Belize to Johnny Depp’s idyllic Bahamian getaway, these stars have spent millions securing their own slices of paradise.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 1, 2026

Ellis, a sweet guy not averse to skimming a little off the top when dealing with moneyed customers — it’s a summer getaway for the rich — takes an immediate shine to Annie.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 5, 2026

Bravo’s newest franchise features fights on the beach, a getaway at a historic Breakers mansion, plus a local beach snack known as “pizza chips.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 26, 2026

She’d spend the evening perched on the edge of the couch, ready to make a quick getaway.

From "Beauty Queens" by Libba Bray

That unforgettable view has brought Fallingwater worldwide fame, which is quite a legacy for something envisioned as a private lodge for weekend getaways, 65 miles south of Pittsburgh.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 28, 2026

And, unlike Disneyland or the traditional getaways that involve a hotel stay or a flight, these outings can be put together in a manner of hours.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 13, 2026

There are dozens of accommodation options too, from hostels to brand new luxury getaways advertising the area as Morocco's hidden gem.

From BBC ● May 24, 2026

Expect Americans to take fewer vacations or opt for smaller getaways closer to home as a result, Gus Faucher, PNC chief economist, tells Barron’s.

From Barron's ● Apr. 30, 2026

He’d practiced fast getaways, fantasized he was revving a powerful engine that left a skid mark and dust behind.

From "The Last Last-Day-of-Summer" by Lamar Giles