off the hook

Idioms  

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

See Examples For:

off the hook

They often wriggle off the hook and flop back into the water before I can catch and release.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 26, 2026

"The phones were ringing off the hook," said Cindy Nellis, from Bath Domestic Appliances.

From BBC ● Jul. 2, 2026

None of that is to say the Newsoms are off the hook in a federal investigation.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 20, 2026

Tuttle doesn’t want to let his audience off the hook when the credits roll, nor should he.

From Salon ● Jun. 15, 2026

What did she expect him to do, swim back to Magpie Campground, dive under the river, lift the giant redwood with one hand, grab her sweatshirt off the hook, and swim back?

From "Earthquake Terror" by Peg Kehret

Related Words

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