off the hook

1. Also,. Released (or be released) from blame or annoying obligation, as in He was out of town during the robbery so he was off the book, or I don't know how the muggers got off the hook, or Once they found the real culprit, they let Mary off the hook. This idiom alludes to the fish that manages to free itself from the angler's hook and get away. [Mid-1800s]

Example Sentences

“AI demand is off the hook,” Chief Executive Bill McDermott said.

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Writer Alex O’Keefe, whom police detained last month in a viral seating dispute on a New York City train, is off the hook for alleged disorderly conduct.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

“The result is that Beverly Hills gets off the hook, and Los Angeles is left holding the bag. It’s unfair and bad policy.”

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Far too often, critics say, he has let the chief off the hook after recent controversies.

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Callum: I hope Martin doesn't think he's off the hook because of one scrappy result.

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Related Words

• able 
• at large 
• clear 
• easy 
• independent 
• loose 
• open 
• unfettered 
• unrestricted