escape

1 of 3

verb

es·​cape i-ˈskāp 

e-,

 dialectal  ik-ˈskāp

escaped; escaping

intransitive verb

1

a

: to get away (as by flight)

escaped from prison

b

: to issue from confinement

gas is escaping

c

of a plant : to run wild from cultivation

2

: to avoid a threatening evil

the boat sank but the crew escaped

transitive verb

1

: to get free of : break away from

escape the jungle

escape the solar system

2

: to get or stay out of the way of : avoid

efforts to escape poverty

3

: to fail to be noticed or recallable by

his name escapes me

4

a

: to issue from

a smile escaped me

b

: to be uttered involuntarily by

a sigh of relief escaped her

escaper noun

escape

2 of 3

noun

1

: an act or instance of escaping: such as

a

: flight from confinement

b

: evasion of something undesirable

c

: leakage or outflow especially of a fluid

d

: distraction or relief from routine or reality

2

: a means of escape

3

: a cultivated plant run wild

4

or less commonly Escape : escape key

escape

3 of 3

adjective

1

: providing a means of escape

escape literature

2

: providing a means of evading a regulation, claim, or commitment

an escape clause in a contract

Did you know?

If you were being held captive by someone gripping the coat or cloak you were wearing, you might be able to get away by slipping out of it. This is the idea on which the word escape is based. Escape is made up of the Latin prefix ex-, which means “out of,” and the Latin word cappa, which means “head covering” or “cloak.”

Synonyms

Verb

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

Noun

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

Choose the Right Synonym for 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

Examples of escape in a Sentence

Verb

They managed to escape from the burning building.

He needed a vacation to escape the routine of daily life.

She moved to the city to escape the memory of her mother's death.

trying to help people to escape poverty

trying to help people to escape from poverty

He succeeded in escaping punishment for many years.

A few passengers somehow escaped injury.

She barely escaped death when her car slid off the road.

Several passengers escaped without injury.

Noun

The prisoners attempted a daring escape.

He celebrated his escape from his boring job with a long vacation.

She had a lucky escape when she wasn't injured in the accident.

She managed to avoid serious injury, but it was a narrow escape.

The door was locked; there was no escape.

Gardening offered an escape from her busy life.

an accidental escape of poisonous gases

trying to prevent further escape of liquid

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Powered by a game-high 35 points from Cole Anthony and a plethora of reserve players stepping up, the Magic escaped the jaws of defeat to win 121-114 against the Heat (13-13), who were without Jimmy Butler (illness). —Jason Beede, Orlando Sentinel, 22 Dec. 2024

Over time, for the partner on the receiving end, this dynamic can exacerbate resentment, low self-esteem and a desire to escape. —Mark Travers, Forbes, 22 Dec. 2024

Noun

Prior to the escape, Hernandez was held at the Kern Valley State Prison. —Anthony Robledo, USA TODAY, 12 Dec. 2024

The rest of the top 10 rankings went to island escapes, including American Samoa, a US territory that includes seven South Pacific islands and atolls near Fiji; the Canary Islands, a Spanish archipelago off the coast of northwest Africa, Portugal's the Azores; and Turks and Caicos in the Caribbean. —Hannah Towey, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 Dec. 2024

Adjective

One more benefit of recounting and recording your dreams is simply escape. —David G. Allan, CNN, 4 Aug. 2022

Both works draw a line between the anti-escape devices used to control the enslaved and the subtler constraints on contemporary Black dissent. —Julian Lucas, The New Yorker, 4 May 2022

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English, from Anglo-French escaper, eschaper, from Vulgar Latin *excappare, from Latin ex- + Late Latin cappa head covering, cloak

First Known Use

Verb

13th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1a

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1817, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing escape

• escape artist
• escape clause
• escape death
• escape detection
• escape hatch
• escape key
• escape mechanism
• escape one's attention
• escape room
• escape someone's notice
• escape the ax
• escape valve
• escape velocity
• escape with one's life
• fire escape
• make good one's escape
• make one's escape
• slip/escape someone's mind

Kids Definition

escape

1 of 2 verb

es·​cape is-ˈkāp 

escaped; escaping

1

a

: to get away

escape from the daily routine

escape from a burning building

b

: to leak out from some enclosed place

gas is escaping

c

: to grow in the wild after being in cultivation

2

: to get out of the way of : avoid

escape punishment

3

: to fail to be noticed or recalled by

the name escapes me

4

: to come out from or be uttered by unexpectedly or almost uncontrollably

a sigh of relief escaped us

escaper noun

escape

2 of 2 noun

1

: an act or instance of escaping

2

: a means of escaping

3

: a cultivated plant growing wild

Etymology

Verb

early French escaper "to escape," from assumed Latin excappare (same meaning), from Latin ex- "out, out of" and cappa "head covering, cloak" — related to cape entry 2

Word Origin

If you were being held captive by someone gripping your coat or cloak, you might be able to get away by slipping out of it. The word escape is based on that idea. Escape comes from the Latin prefix ex-, which means "out of," and the Latin word cappa, which means "head covering" or "cloak."

Medical Definition

escape

1 of 3 verb

es·​cape is-ˈkāp 

escaped; escaping

intransitive verb

: to avoid or find relief from something by means of an escape

transitive verb

: to avoid or find relief from (something) by means of an escape

he was unable to escape reality

escape

2 of 3 noun

: an act or instance of escaping: as

a

: evasion of something undesirable

find no method of escape from pain and suffering

b

: distraction or relief from routine or reality

especially : mental distraction or relief by flight into idealizing fantasy or fiction that serves to glorify the self

escape

3 of 3 adjective

: providing a means of escape

escape literature

Legal Definition

escape

1 of 2 intransitive verb

es·​cape

escaped; escaping

: to depart from lawful custody with the intent of avoiding confinement or the administration of justice

escape

2 of 2 noun

1

: an act or instance of escaping

2

: the criminal offense of escaping