get away with — avoid punishment
phrasal verbB1IELTS 5+neutralcommon
To do something wrong or not allowed and not be caught or punished for it.
Say it like a native
Textbook Somehow he managed to avoid any consequences for cheating.
Native Somehow he got away with cheating.
'Get away with' is the natural verb for escaping punishment; the formal version is wordy.
Pattern: get away with [something/doing something]
In use
- He cheated on the test and got away with it because no one noticed.daily life
- Some people think it's unfair when celebrities get away with breaking the law just because they're famous.IELTS speaking
Common mistake
✗ She got away from not paying.
✓ She got away with not paying.
For dodging punishment, it's 'get away WITH' — 'get away from' means escape a place.
Common collocations
get away with + wrongdoing— it, murder, cheating, anything
Don't confuse it
Not the same as 'get away', which means to escape or go on holiday.