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]
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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.
If that trend continues, the Fed could get away with not raising rates in September, they said, especially if Warsh can do a better job explaining the rate-setting committee’s thinking.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 2026
Rae says: "I booked the Monday off a while ago. I work in a garage and we're open as normal, so I probably wouldn't get away with flexible working."
From BBC ● Jun. 9, 2026
What irks me is how one-note the character writing is, and how the movie’s youthful, seemingly forward-thinking perspective allows Barker to get away with reducing Nikki to nothing.
From Salon ● Jun. 4, 2026
There are conductors who take it seriously and get away with it.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 3, 2026
Not many people can get away with talking about your family like that, but Kat can.
From "A Heart in a Body in the World" by Deb Caletti
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.
