get away — escape
phrasal verbB1IELTS 5+neutralcommon
To leave or escape from a place, situation, or person, especially when it is difficult or you are not supposed to.
Say it like a native
Textbook The suspect succeeded in escaping from the police.
Native The suspect got away from the police.
'Get away' is the natural verb for escaping; 'succeeded in escaping from' is a news bulletin.
Pattern: get away (from someone/something)
In use
- The thief tried to get away, but the police caught him.daily life
- If I ever feel stressed, I like to get away from the city and spend some time in nature.IELTS speaking
Common mistake
✗ The thief got away of the guards.
✓ The thief got away from the guards.
It's 'get away FROM' someone/something — not 'of'.
Common collocations
get away (from)— from the police, in time, quickly, with the money
Don't confuse it
'Go away' means to leave, but 'get away' means to escape, often from something unwanted.
Related
- get away (take a short holiday) — Another meaning of 'get away' is 'take a short holiday'; compare the examples to keep the meanings separate.