escape

I

(New American Roget's College Thesaurus)

Get away

Nouns

1. escape, elopement, flight; evasion (see avoidance); retreat; narrow escape or squeak, hairbreadth escape; deliverance, liberation; redeployment; jailbreak, freedom. Informal, close call or shave. Slang, getaway, lam, strategic movement to the rear. See recession, departure.

2. (means of escape) outlet; puncture, aperture; safety valve, fire escape, ladder, parachute; refuge, sanctuary, asylum; lifeboat, life raft; emergency exit, ejection seat, inflatable slide; escape hatch; escape clause, loophole. See safety, egress.

3. (one who escapes) refugee, fugitive, escapee, runaway, runagate, deserter, boat person.

4. (desire to avoid) escapism, withdrawal, fantasy, flight. See insanity.

Verbs — escape, get off, get well out of, save one's bacon, weather the storm; bolt, elope, abscond, defect; evade (see avoidance); show or take to one's heels, beat a retreat, flee, bail out, make oneself scarce, run away or off, [make a] run for it, cut and run, steal away, slip off, take off, vamoose; elude, make off, give one the slip, slip through the fingers, dig [oneself] out; wriggle out of; break out or loose, make a getaway; get away with, get off easy; find a loophole; drop, draw, fade, or fall back, back out. Informal, skip out; get away with murder, get off cheap. Slang, skedaddle, skiddoo, scarper, take a powder, fly the coop, take it on the lam, lam out, cheese it, blow ass.

Adjectives — escaping, escaped, fled, free, scot-free, at large, well out of; on the run. Slang, on the lam, over the hill.

Quotations — I am escaped with the skin of my teeth (Bible), Oh, that I had wings like a dove! for then I would fly away, and be at rest (Bible), The best way out is always through (Robert Frost).

Antonyms, see restraint.

II

(Roget's IV) n.

1. [The act of escaping]

Syn. flight, getaway, retreat, disappearance, evasion, avoidance, leave, departure, withdrawal, hegira, elopement, desertion, abdication, decampment, liberation, deliverance, rescue, freedom, release, extrication, breakout, jailbreak, break*, French leave*, close call*, close shave*, slip*, AWOL*.

Ant. imprisonment*, retention, capture.

2. [Place of escape]

Syn. exit, outlet, way out, loophole, overflow, outflow, leakage, leak, fire escape, waste pipe, sewer, hatch, porthole, alleyway, floodgate, exhaust, draft, escape valve, vent.

3. [Mental release]

Syn. distraction, diversion, escapism; see avoidance , entertainment 1 , oblivion 1 .

v.

Syn. flee, fly, leave, depart, elude, avoid, evade, dodge, run off, run away, get away, get out, slip away, make one's escape, make off, disappear, vanish, steal off, steal away, get away from, break out, break away, bolt, get free, get clear of, desert, slip out, elope, run out, run out on, leak out, flow out, gush forth, emerge, burst out, avoid danger, go free, go scot-free, decamp, abscond, take flight, take off, free oneself, break loose, gain, liberty, break one's bonds, break jail, get off, find a loophole, wriggle out, worm out of, slip by, get by, lead one a merry chase, duck out*, cut out*, make a getaway*, make a break*, get away with*, cut and run*, show one's heels*, cut loose*, clear out*, make oneself scarce*, play hooky*, go AWOL*, bail out*, save one's bacon*, save one's neck*, scram*, skidoo*, take a powder*, give one the slip*, shake*, shake off*, fly the coop*, take it on the lam*, leg it*, play hide and seek*, take French leave*, skip*, jump*.

Ant. return*, come back, remain.

Syn.- escape implies a getting out of, a keeping away from, or simply a remaining unaffected by an impending or present danger, evil, confinement, etc. [ to escape death, criticism, etc. ] ; to avoid is to make a conscious effort to keep clear of something undeSirable or harmful [ to avoid crowds during a flu epidemic ] ; to evade is to escape or avoid by artifice, cunning, adroitness, etc. [ to evade pursuit, one's duty, etc. ] ; to elude is to escape the grasp of someone or something by artful or slippery dodges or because of a baffling quality [ the criminal eluded the police, the meaning eluded him ]

III

(Roget's 3 Superthesaurus)

I

n.

getaway, fast break, flight, evasion, *the slip, breakout, extrication, dodging, departure, desertion, *disappearing act.

II

v.

get away, break out, extricate, loose, liberate, break, bolt, *fly the coop, cut loose, elude, dodge, abscond, elope, *take on the lam, skip, flee, decamp, disappear.

IV

(Roget's Thesaurus II) I verb 1. To break loose and leave suddenly, as from confinement or from a difficult or threatening situation: abscond, break out, decamp, flee, fly, get away, run away. Informal: skip (out). Slang: lam. Regional: absquatulate. Idioms: blow (or fly) the coop, cut and run, give someone the slip, make a getaway, take flight, take it on the lam. See FREE. 2. To keep away from: avoid, burke, bypass, circumvent, dodge, duck, elude, eschew, evade, get around, shun. Idioms: fight shy of, give a wide berth to, have no truck with, keep (or stay or steer) clear of. See SEEK. 3. To fail to be fixed by the mind, memory, or senses of: elude. Idiom: slip away from. See OWNED. II noun 1. The act or an instance of escaping, as from confinement or difficulty: break, breakout, decampment, escapement, flight, getaway. Slang: lam. See FREE. 2. The act, an instance, or a means of avoiding: avoidance, bypass, circumvention, evasion. See SEEK. 3. Freedom from worry, care, or unpleasantness: forgetfulness, oblivion, obliviousness. See SEEK.