Dictionary

get away with en · VERB

Pronunciation

• (Australia) audio

Meanings

1. To get away, or escape, taking (something) with one.
   • The thieves got away with a million pounds' worth of jewellery.
2. (idiomatic) To escape punishment for doing something objectionable.
   • Not many people have gotten away with stealing that much money.
   • The late Professor Pat White was an outspoken critic. In his 1986 book Forgotten Railways, he dismissed as smoke and mirrors the oft-used argument that 33% of rail routes carried only 1% of the traffic, as it ignores the fact that a third of the national road network also only carried 2% of cars and lorries. But unlike rail, road got away with it because no mention was made of how much it cost the taxpayer to keep them usable. 2023 March 8, Howard Johnston, “Was Marples the real railway wrecker?”, in RAIL, number 978, page 53:
   • Our teacher's so strict, he'd never let us get away with anything in class.
   • Do you think we could get away with taking Dad’s car?
3. (broadly, colloquial) To avoid the consequences of doing something by an easier method.
   • But we still sought out the very best cleaners because they let you get away with using cheaper or gentler detergents, loading extra-crusty dishes, or running the quick cycle even with dishes that are pretty gnarly. 2022 May 27, Liam McCabe, Sarah Bogdan, “The Best Dishwashers”, in New York Times:
   • It's warm today, so you can probably get away with just wearing a short-sleeved shirt.
   • The vehicles resemble something out of Thunderbirds. They have to be squat, long and narrow to fit through the body of the TBM. They also have a cab at each end, as there's no getting away with a three-point turn in a tunnel! 2022 March 23, Paul Bigland, “HS2 is just 'passing through'”, in RAIL, number 953, page 41:

Forms

Deriveds

get away with murder

Relateds

get off · pull off · scot-free

Translations (34)

pl upiec się (to escape punishment for) · pl lenić się (avoid doing work) · es salir impune / inulto (de) (to escape punishment for) · is komast upp með (to escape punishment for) · ru сойти́ с рук (to escape punishment for) · it cavarsela (to escape punishment for) · es irse de rositas (to escape punishment for) · el ξεφεύγω (to escape punishment for) · hu elviszi szárazon (to escape punishment for) · nb slippe unna med (to escape punishment for) · is komast upp með (avoid doing work) · pl ujść na sucho (to escape punishment for) · hu megúszik (to escape punishment for) · fr s'en tirer (to escape punishment for) · ro scăpa basma curată (to escape punishment for) · de um etwas herumkommen (avoid doing work) · ro ieși basma curată (to escape punishment for) · es escaquearse (avoid doing work) · sv komma undan med (to escape punishment for) · it cavarsela (avoid doing work) · pt passar batido (to escape punishment for) · de mit etwas davonkommen (to escape punishment for) · pl uchodzić płazem (to escape punishment for) · de mit etwas durchkommen (to escape punishment for) · uk ухиля́тися (avoid doing work) · de ungeschoren davonkommen (to escape punishment for) · pl ujść płazem (to escape punishment for) · uk ухили́тися (avoid doing work) · pl uchodzić na sucho (to escape punishment for) · es escurrir el bulto (avoid doing work) · ru увильну́ть (avoid doing work) · ru уви́ливать (avoid doing work) · it farla franca (to escape punishment for) · uk схо́дити з рук (to escape punishment for)