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

The paradox in the AI trade—investors are questioning the hype even as they pour money in—was everywhere at Camp Kotok, an invite-only weekend getaway for pros from across the finance world.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 23, 2026

After a bear was caught on video stealing food from his getaway on the lake, retiree Walt Pudewell last week paid $5,000 to have every door and window secured with electric mats and wiring.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026

Cali Adeline’s debut novel ‘People Watching in the Desert’ uses the tropes of a breezy summer getaway to explore the thorny, Didion-esque ethics of the stories we tell about others.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 22, 2026

The coastal city of La Guaira is located just north of Caracas and usually serves as the perfect seaside getaway for residents of the capital.

From Barron's ● Jul. 11, 2026

Then Booth heads for Pumphrey’s stable to arrange for his getaway horse.

From "Lincoln's Last Days: The Shocking Assassination that Changed America Forever" by Bill O'Reilly

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

The Baltic Sea offers beach getaways for those who would rather not swelter in Spain or inland.

From BBC ● Apr. 18, 2026

Some companies suspended or re-evaluated these snowy getaways, which can be exclusive, at the height of diversity, equity and inclusion efforts several years ago.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 12, 2026

Many in the “Sons of Lombardi” league are married with children, and the trip is one of their only getaways.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 7, 2025

There were sightseeing trips up the Swiss Alps designed as getaways for relaxation, but these excursions only taxed Ernest’s weakened constitution.

From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik