on the lam

Idioms and Phrases

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

What follows are musical snapshots of an artist, who on the lam from himself, hones a style that will forever change the landscape of modern music.

From Los Angeles Times

Newton is suspicious, but they find common ground, and when the Panther eventually goes on the lam, claiming he’s being framed for the attempted murder of a teenage sex worker, it’s Schneider’s door he knocks on.

From Los Angeles Times

Durst may have never faced a Galveston, Texas jury if he hadn’t been caught trying to steal a grocery store sandwich while he was on the lam.

From Salon

Viola, an Asian elephant with the Jordan World Circus, still participated in two performances Tuesday after her time on the lam in the southwestern Montana city of about 35,000 people that in the late 1800s was the world’s largest copper-producing area.

From Seattle Times

Ecuador was once famous for sheltering a man on the lam: For seven years it allowed WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange to hole up in its embassy in London, invoking an international treaty that makes diplomatic premises places of refuge.

From New York Times

Related Words

• elusive