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Definition of escape
escaped
;escaping
intransitive verb
1a : to get away (as by flight) escaped from prisonb : to issue from confinement gas is escapingc of a plant : to run wild from cultivation
2 : to avoid a threatening evil the boat sank but the crew escaped
transitive verb
1 : to get free of : break away from escape the jungle escape the solar system
2 : to get or stay out of the way of : avoid efforts to escape poverty
3 : to fail to be noticed or recallable by his name escapes me
4a : to issue from a smile escaped meb : to be uttered involuntarily by a sigh of relief escaped her
escaper
nounRead the Latest from M-W
Examples of escape in a Sentence
They managed to escape from the burning building.
He needed a vacation to escape the routine of daily life.
She moved to the city to escape the memory of her mother's death.
trying to help people to escape poverty
trying to help people to escape from poverty
He succeeded in escaping punishment for many years.
A few passengers somehow escaped injury.
She barely escaped death when her car slid off the road.
Several passengers escaped without injury.
Recent Examples of escape from the Web
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Lewellen and McEnroe were killed on the spot, while Moriarty and a surviving U.S. soldier escaped from their vehicles, returned fire and seriously wounded the Jordanian soldier.
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Aaron Burgess said the man now is on the loose in Decatur after escaping an ambulance that was bound for Decatur Morgan Hospital's psychiatric unit.
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Others were injured during a stampede from the park to escape the gunfire.
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Alabaster Jar Project is a nonprofit in North County that provides resources, transitional housing, therapy, education and vocational training for women and girls escaping sex trafficking and exploitation.
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Ebony chose her cousin, who could watch the kids and loan Ebony her truck to escape for a few hours.
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During fireworks displays, the People For Ethical Treatment of Animals says dogs have jumped fences, broken chains, torn through screen doors and even leaped through glass doors in an attempt to escape the noise.
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White had been wanted for escaping from a jail in Muhlenberg County, Kentucky, an Indiana State Police spokesman said.
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But lawmakers have strongly condemned the NIH and CDC cuts at recent budget hearings, raising hopes that both agencies will escape the ax.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'escape'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Did You Know?
If you were being held captive by someone gripping the coat or cloak you were wearing, you might be able to get away by slipping out of it. This is the idea on which the word escape is based. Escape is made up of the Latin prefix ex-, which means “out of,” and the Latin word cappa, which means “head covering” or “cloak.”
Origin and Etymology of escape
Middle English, from Anglo-French escaper, eschaper, from Vulgar Latin *excappare, from Latin ex- + Late Latin cappa head covering, cloak
Synonym Discussion of escape
escape
Definition of escape
1 : an act or instance of escaping: such asa : flight from confinementb : evasion of something undesirablec : leakage or outflow especially of a fluidd : distraction or relief from routine or reality
2 : a means of escape
3 : a cultivated plant run wild
4 or less commonly Escape : escape key
Examples of escape in a Sentence
The prisoners attempted a daring escape.
He celebrated his escape from his boring job with a long vacation.
She had a lucky escape when she wasn't injured in the accident.
She managed to avoid serious injury, but it was a narrow escape.
The door was locked; there was no escape.
Gardening offered an escape from her busy life.
an accidental escape of poisonous gases
trying to prevent further escape of liquid
Recent Examples of escape from the Web
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The improved resolution will also help scientists better understand many other deep-ocean processes, Picard explains, including landslides and pockmarks, craterlike features possibly caused by the escape of an unknown fluid or gas.
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The movie functions as an escape thriller, and an origin story for Pratt's Peter Quill (aka Star-Lord).
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Isola Santa Cristina, one of the largest of some 70 islands in the Venetian lagoon, was until recently the private escape of the Swarovskis.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'escape'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
First Known Use of escape
14th century
escape
Definition of escape
1 : providing a means of escape escape literature
2 : providing a means of evading a regulation, claim, or commitment an escape clause in a contract
First Known Use of escape
1817
ESCAPE Defined for English Language Learners
escape
playDefinition of escape for English Language Learners
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: to get away from a place (such as a prison) where you are being held or kept
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: to get away from a dangerous place or situation
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: to get away from something that is difficult or unpleasant
escape
Definition of escape for English Language Learners
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: an act of escaping from a place, situation, etc.
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: a way of escaping from a place, situation, etc.
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: an occurrence in which an amount of liquid or gas passes out through a hole or crack in a container
ESCAPE Defined for Kids
Definition of escape for Students
escaped
;escaping
1 : to get away : get free or clear Everyone escaped from the burning building.
2 : to keep free of : avoid She managed to escape injury.
3 : to fail to be noticed or remembered by The name escapes me.
4 : to leak out Gas is escaping from the tank.
History for escape
Picture a person who is held by a cape or cloak. The person may be able to slip out of the garment and so escape from the captor. The word escape is based on such a picture. The word escape came from an Old French verb escaper or eschaper. This word in turn came ultimately from the Latin words ex, “out of,” and cappa, “head covering, cloak.”
Definition of escape for Students
1 : the act of getting away a narrow escape
2 : a way of getting away … there was no escape except up the cliff. — Jack London, The Call of the Wild
Medical Dictionary
Medical Definition of escape
escaped
;escaping
intransitive verb
: to avoid or find relief from something by means of an escapetransitive verb
: to avoid or find relief from (something) by means of an escape he was unable to escape reality
escape
Medical Definition of escape
: an act or instance of escaping: asa: evasion of something undesirable find no method of escape from pain and sufferingb: distraction or relief from routine or reality; especially : mental distraction or relief by flight into idealizing fantasy or fiction that serves to glorify the self
escape
Medical Definition of escape
: providing a means of escape escape literature
Law Dictionary
escape
Legal Definition of escape
escaped
escaping
: to depart from lawful custody with the intent of avoiding confinement or the administration of justice
escape
Legal Definition of escape
1 : an act or instance of escaping
2 : the criminal offense of escaping
Learn More about escape
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See words that rhyme with escape Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for escape Spanish Central: Translation of escape Nglish: Translation of escape for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of escape for Arabic speakers
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