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   escape

   /ɪˈskeɪp/

   verb

   • 1. break free from confinement or control: "two burglars have just escaped from prison" Similar get awayget outrun awayrun offbreak outbreak freeget freebreak loosemake a break for itboltclear outfleeflytake flightmake offtake offdecampabscondtake to one's heelsmake a/one's escapemake good one's escapemake a/one's getawaybeat a (hasty) retreatshow a clean pair of heelsrun for itmake a run for itdisappearvanishslip awaysteal awaysneak awayget out of someone's clutchesinformal:bustdo a bunkdo a moonlight flitcut and runskedaddleskiphead for the hillsdo a disappearing/vanishing actfly the cooptake French leavevamoosehightail itdo a runnerhook itscarperleg ittake a powdergo on the lamOpposite be capturedbe imprisoned
   • ▪ elude or get free from (someone): "he drove along the dual carriageway to escape police" Similar get away fromescape fromeludeavoiddodgeleave behindshake offfend offkeep at arm's lengthkeep out of someone's waysteer clear ofgive someone a wide berthinformal:give someone the sliparchaic:bilkOpposite be caught by
   • ▪ succeed in avoiding or eluding something dangerous or unpleasant: "the driver escaped with a broken knee" Similar avoidevadedodgeeludemisscheattricksidestepcircumventskirtkeep out of the way ofbypassshunsteer clear ofshirkinformal:duckOpposite suffer
   • ▪ (of a gas, liquid, or heat) leak from a container: "the CFCs have escaped into the atmosphere" Similar leak (out)spill (out)seep (out)ooze (out)exudedischargeemanateissueflow (out)pour (out)gush (out)dripdrainbleedstreamspurtspoutsquirtspewjet
   • ▪ (of words or sounds) issue involuntarily or inadvertently from (someone): "a sob escaped her lips"
   • 2. fail to be noticed or remembered by (someone): "the name escaped him"
   • 3. interrupt (an operation) by means of the escape key.
   • ▪ cause (a subsequent character or characters) to be interpreted differently.

   noun

   • 1. an act of breaking free from confinement or control: "the gang had made their escape" Similar getawaybreakoutbolt for freedomrunning awayflightboltingabscondingdecampingfleeingflitdisappearancevanishing actinformal, dated:springingOpposite captureimprisonment
   • ▪ an act of avoiding something dangerous or unpleasant: "the baby was fine, but it was a lucky escape" Similar avoidance ofevasion ofdodging ofeluding ofcircumvention ofinformal:ducking ofrare:elusion of
   • ▪ a means of escaping from somewhere: "he had planned his escape route"
   • ▪ a garden plant or pet animal that has gone wild and (especially in plants) become naturalized: "it is not a native of Britain, though often occurring as an escape"
   • 2. a form of temporary distraction from reality or routine: "romantic novels should present an escape from the dreary realities of life" Similar distractiondiversioninterruption
   • 3. a leakage of gas, liquid, or heat from a container: "a lid prevents the escape of poisonous gases" Similar leakleakagespillseepagedripdribbledischargeemanationissueflowoutflowoutpouringgushstreamspurtspoutsquirtjettechnical:efflux
   • 4. a key on a computer keyboard which either interrupts the current operation or causes subsequent characters to be interpreted differently.

   Word Origin Middle English: from Old French eschaper, based on medieval Latin ex- ‘out’ + cappa ‘cloak’. Compare with escapade.

   Derivatives

   • 1. escapable adjective
   • 2. escaper noun

   Scrabble Points: 10

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