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away with
/əˈweɪ wɪð/◆phrasal verb
take or steal
The thief got away with the stolen jewels.
The thief successfully took the jewels and escaped without being caught.
informal
to take or steal something and escape with it
The robbers got away with a million dollars.
The robbers successfully stole and escaped with a million dollars.
He thought he could get away with cheating on the test, but he was caught.
He believed he could cheat and avoid punishment, but he was caught.
Often used in contexts involving theft, cheating, or escaping punishment.
informal
to do something wrong without being punished or criticized
She got away with skipping the meeting because her boss was in a good mood.
She skipped the meeting and avoided any consequences because her boss was lenient.
Commonly used when someone avoids negative consequences for their actions.
Collocations
get away withsucceed in escaping punishment or consequenceswalk away withto win or obtain something easily
Synonyms
Related Phrases
Pro Tip
Common Mistake
Do not confuse 'get away with' with 'get away from'. 'Get away from' means to leave or escape from a place or person, while 'get away with' refers to escaping consequences for an action.
Gold Rule
Usage Rule
Always use 'get away with' with a verb or noun phrase indicating the action or thing taken. For example, 'He got away with the money' (noun) or 'She got away with lying' (verb).
Word Origin
The phrase 'away with' combines the adverb 'away' (indicating movement from a place) and the preposition 'with' (indicating accompaniment). The phrasal verb 'get away with' emerged in the early 20th century, evolving from the idea of taking something and leaving undetected.
Usage Notes
'Get away with' is the most common phrasal verb formed with 'away with'. It is always used with the verb 'get' in the active voice. The structure is typically: [subject] + get + [object] + away with + [action].
Word Breakdown
away
indicates movement or escape from a place
adverbwith
indicates accompaniment or possession
prepositionEnglish Dictionary