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

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

From Salon • Jun. 15, 2026

But the belated potential dumping of Mr. Khan shouldn’t let the ICC off the hook.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 9, 2026

“What really caused our phone to start ringing off the hook was when Anduril participated in our customer conference back in January,” the CEO said.

From Barron's • Jun. 2, 2026

The EU has been at odds with social media platforms over the last years, and von der Leyen made clear that age restrictions would not mean that tech companies were being "let off the hook".

From BBC • May 12, 2026

I remember I put out some set hooks late one Saturday, thinking if I caught a fish, it wouldn’t be a sin to take him off the hook next morning.

From "Cold Sassy Tree" by Olive Ann Burns

Related Words

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