get away — avoid punishment
phrasal verbC1IELTS 7+neutraloccasional
To avoid being blamed or punished for something wrong or dishonest that you have done.
Say it like a native
Textbook He managed to avoid any consequences for his actions.
Native Somehow he got away with it.
Natives almost always say 'get away WITH it' for dodging punishment; bare 'get away' meaning this is unusual.
Pattern: get away with something
In use
- He cheated on the exam and got away with it because no one noticed.crime
- Some people believe that wealthy individuals are more likely to get away with breaking the law due to their influence and resources.IELTS speaking
Common mistake
✗ He got away the crime.
✓ He got away with the crime.
For dodging blame, you need 'get away WITH something'.
Common collocations
get away with— with it, with murder, scot-free, unpunished
Don't confuse it
Unlike the B1 sense 'escape', which means physically leaving a place or situation, this sense is figurative and focuses on avoiding negative consequences for an action. It does not involve physically leaving.
Related
- get away (escape) — 'get away' also has the more basic meaning 'escape'; this is the advanced sense.