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

He said he drove the car to get away and had "no knowledge" of colliding with anyone until his cousin called him the next morning.

From BBC • May 1, 2026

Though he isn’t a Berkshire shareholder, he says he recognizes most businesses wouldn’t be able to get away with it.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 1, 2026

“We’ve got to completely course correct and get away from that.”

From Los Angeles Times • May 1, 2026

But Bayern were unwilling to let the chance of a first Champions League title since 2020 get away from them as they fought back in fearsome fashion.

From BBC • Apr. 28, 2026

And it was, though nothing I couldn’t leave behind as quick as I could get away.

From "The Teacher’s Funeral" by Richard Peck

Related Words

• advance
• blow
• carry
• change
• climb
• cross
• drift
• drive
• flow
• fly
• go
• jump
• leave
• migrate
• proceed
• progress
• propel
• push
• relocate
• remove