Thesaurus

escape

noun

Synonyms and Antonyms of escape

1 the act or an instance of getting free from danger or confinement

a daring prison escape

Synonyms of escape

break, breakout, bunk [British], flight, getaway, lam, rout, slip

Words Related to escape

deliverance, liberation, redemption, release, rescue, salvation

close call, close shave, near miss

Near Antonyms of escape

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 of escape

avoidance, cop-out, dodging, ducking, eluding, elusion, eschewal, eschewing, evasion, out, shaking, shunning

Words Related to escape

bypassing, circumvention, runaround, sidestepping, skirting

averting, deflection, obviation, precluding, prevention

Near Antonyms of escape

abidance, endurance, submission, toleration

escape

verb

Synonyms and Antonyms of escape

1 to get free from a dangerous or confining situation

everyone managed to escape from the burning building in time

Synonyms of escape

abscond, break out (of), clear out, flee, fly, get out, lam, run away, run off

Words Related to escape

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 Synonymous with escape

Near Antonyms of escape

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 of escape

avoid, dodge, duck, elude, eschew, evade, finesse, get around, scape, shake, shirk, shuffle (out of), shun, weasel (out of)

Words Related to escape

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 Synonymous with escape

fight shy of, keep clear of, stay clear of, steer clear of

Near Antonyms of escape

accept, court, embrace, pursue, seek, welcome

catch, contract, incur

Synonym Discussion of escape

escape, avoid, evade, elude, shun, eschew mean to get away or keep away from something. escape stresses the fact of getting away or being passed by not necessarily through effort or by conscious intent.

- nothing escapes her sharp eyes

avoid stresses forethought and caution in keeping clear of danger or difficulty.

- try to avoid past errors

evade implies adroitness, ingenuity, or lack of scruple in escaping or avoiding.

- evaded the question by changing the subject

elude implies a slippery or baffling quality in the person or thing that escapes.

- what she sees in him eludes me

shun often implies an avoiding as a matter of habitual practice or policy and may imply repugnance or abhorrence.

- you have shunned your responsibilities

eschew implies an avoiding or abstaining from as unwise or distasteful.

- a playwright who eschews melodrama

Learn More about escape

See words that rhyme with escape Dictionary: Definition of escape Medical Dictionary: Definition of 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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