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Synonyms

on the lam

Idioms  

  1. Running away, especially from the police, as in He's always in some kind of trouble and perpetually on the lam. The origin of this slangy term of the 1800s is not known.

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.

Before long, Frank and the Bride are on the road and on the lam, invigorating the nation in their path.

From Salon

He got nabbed after almost 14 years on the lam, some of them spent teaching scuba in Egypt.

From Los Angeles Times

Monkeys on the lam in St. Louis and AI isn’t helping.

From MarketWatch

As a child, Caleb resisted being taken into Federation custody, instead going on the lam.

From Los Angeles Times

The suspected leaker is believed to be a Chinese national who has moved back to China and is now on the lam, South Korean officials say.

From The Wall Street Journal

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.