get away with

1. Escape the consequences or blame for, as in Bill often cheats on exams but usually gets away with it . [Late 1800s]

2. get away with murder . Escape the consequences of killing someone; also, do anything one wishes. For example, If the jury doesn't convict him, he'll have gotten away with murder , or He talks all day on the phone—the supervisor is letting him get away with murder . [First half of 1900s]

Example Sentences

Davis became the first Black woman to win an Emmy for lead actress in a drama series in 2015 for her work in “How to Get Away with Murder.”

From Los Angeles Times

The ability to commit crimes — even sex crimes — and get away with it is part of the allure of Trumpism.

From Salon

The ability to commit crimes — even sex crimes — and get away with it is part of the allure of Trumpism.

From Salon

And it also terrifies me to think about what they’ll do—what they’ll get away with—once they are in power.

From Slate

“I wanted my daughter to know that he couldn’t get away with that. I was so happy that people understood that I was a mother that was defending my child. Because I never want to do anything to embarrass Keke ever.”

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• avoid
• depart
• disappear
• dodge
• elude
• emerge
• evade
• flee
• fly
• leave
• run
• slip
• slip away
• vanish