escape

1 the act or an instance of getting free from danger or confinement a daring prison escape Synonyms break, breakout, bunk [British], flight, getaway, lam, rout, slip Related Words jailbreak; deliverance, liberation, redemption, release, rescue, salvation; close call, close shave, near miss Near Antonyms captivity, confinement, immurement, imprisonment, incarceration, internment; custody, detention, hold, holding, retention; endangerment, hazard, imperilment, jeopardy, peril, risk, trouble

2 the act or a means of getting or keeping away from something undesirable the reading of science fiction novels as an escape from boring reality Synonyms avoidance, cop-out, dodging, ducking, eluding, elusion, eschewal, eschewing, evasion, out, shaking, shunning Related Words bypassing, circumvention, runaround, sidestepping, skirting; averting, deflection, obviation, precluding, prevention Near Antonyms abidance, endurance, submission, toleration

1 to get free from a dangerous or confining situation everyone managed to escape from the burning building in time Synonyms abscond, break out (of), clear out, flee, fly, get out, lam, run away, run off Related Words avoid, elude, evade, lose, shun; decamp, depart, elope, exit, go, leave, move, pull out, quit, sally (forth), shove (off), take off, walk out; disentangle, extricate; bring off, emancipate, enfranchise, free, liberate, loose, loosen, manumit, redeem, release, rescue, spring, unbind, uncage, unchain, unfetter Phrases break free Near Antonyms abide, dwell, hang around, linger, remain, stay, stick around, tarry; come back, return

2 to get or keep away from (as a responsibility) through cleverness or trickery a judge who is very determined not to let criminals escape punishment Synonyms avoid, dodge, duck, elude, eschew, evade, finesse, get around, scape, shake, shirk, shuffle (out of), shun, weasel (out of) Related Words miss; avert, deflect, divert, obviate, parry, prevent, ward (off); ban, bar, debar, eliminate, except, exclude, preclude, rule out; bypass, circumvent, skirt; foil, fox, frustrate, outfox, outsmart, outwit, overreach, thwart Phrases fight shy of, keep clear of, stay clear of, steer clear of Near Antonyms accept, court, embrace, pursue, seek, welcome; catch, contract, incur