get away with
Idioms-
Escape the consequences or blame for, as in Bill often cheats on exams but usually gets away with it . [Late 1800s]
-
get away with murder . Escape the consequences of killing someone; also, do anything one wishes. For example, If the jury doesn't convict him, he'll have gotten away with murder , or He talks all day on the phone—the supervisor is letting him get away with murder . [First half of 1900s]
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
In many of the previous cases, there were claims that the BBC had allowed its talent to get away with bad behaviour.
From BBC • Mar. 30, 2026
What’s Next: To date, Apple has been able to get away with its limited AI updates as iPhone demand is strong and services revenue is growing.
From Barron's • Mar. 25, 2026
Fundamentally, my client wants not authenticity but innocence, the ability to get away with something.
From Slate • Mar. 20, 2026
Gosling may be one of the few hosts who can get away with it since by this point, it’s his fourth time hosting and it’s completely expected.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 8, 2026
“Ain’t no way I’m letting them get away with this.”
From "Anger Is a Gift" by Mark Oshiro
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
