Oxford Essential Dictionary
verb (escapes, escaping, escaped )
1 to get free from somebody or something:
The bird escaped from its cage.
Two prisoners escaped, but were later caught.
2 to manage to avoid something dangerous or unpleasant:
The pilot escaped death by seconds.
Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
escape
I. es‧cape1 S3 W2 /ɪˈskeɪp/ BrE AmE verb
[Word Family: noun: escape, escapism, escapee, escapologist; adjective: escaped, inescapable, escapist; verb: escape; adverb: inescapably]
[Date: 1200-1300; Language: Old North French; Origin: escaper, from Vulgar Latin excappare, from Late Latin cappa 'head-covering'; from the idea of throwing off something that limits your movement]
1. PERSON/PLACE [intransitive] to leave a place when someone is trying to catch you or stop you, or when there is a dangerous situation:
He broke down the locked door and escaped.
escape from/through/over etc
He escaped from prison in October.
escape to
She escaped to Britain in 1938.
2. DANGER [intransitive and transitive] to get away from a dangerous or bad situation
escape with
He escaped with minor injuries.
escape unhurt/unscathed/unharmed etc
A boy escaped unhurt when the fire in his room exploded.
They went to the hills to escape the summer heat.
escape sb’s clutches (=escape from someone)
The youth was trying to escape the clutches of two drunken female companions.
3. AVOID [intransitive and transitive] to avoid something bad or that you do not want to happen:
He narrowly escaped death in an avalanche.
The two passengers escaped serious injury.
They must not be allowed to escape justice.
It seemed impossible he would escape detection.
4. GAS/LIQUID ETC [intransitive] if gas, liquid, light, heat etc escapes from somewhere, it comes out:
Vents allow any steam to escape if the system overheats.
5. SOUND [intransitive and transitive] literary if a sound escapes from someone, they accidentally make that sound:
A small laugh escaped her.
escape from
Holman let a weary sigh escape from his lips.
6. escape sb’s attention/notice if something escapes your attention or notice, you do not see it or realize that it is there
7. the name/date/title etc escapes somebody used to say that someone cannot remember something:
For some reason which escapes me, we had to take a taxi.
8. there’s no escaping (the fact) used to emphasize that something is definitely important or will definitely happen:
There’s no escaping the fact that work has profound effects on emotions and health.
• • •
COLLOCATIONS (for Meanings 1,2&3)
■ verbs
▪ try/attempt to escape Some prisoners tried to escape, but most were recaptured or shot.
■ nouns
▪ escape injury (=not be hurt) Both drivers were lucky to escape serious injury.
▪ escape justice (=not be caught and punished) These terrorists must not be allowed to escape justice.
▪ escape detection (=not be noticed) Some insects manage to escape detection by merging with the background.
▪ escape sb’s clutches (=escape and not be caught be someone) He managed to escape the men’s clutches and run off.
■ phrases
▪ narrowly escape something (=only just avoid having something bad happen to you) The firemen narrowly escaped being killed by the explosion.
▪ escape with your life (=escape and not be killed) When the tunnel collapsed, the men were lucky to escape with their lives.
▪ escape unharmed/unscathed/unhurt Two policemen were killed, but the president escaped unharmed.
▪ escape alive The crew of the sinking vessel were lucky to escape alive.
• • •
THESAURUS
▪ escape to leave a place when someone is trying to catch you or stop you, or when there is a dangerous situation: The thief escaped through an upstairs window. | She managed to escape from her attacker and call the police.
▪ get away to escape from someone who is chasing you, especially when there is no chance that you will be caught. Get away is more informal than escape: The robbers got away but left plenty of clues at the scene. | Don’t let him get away!
▪ break free/break away to escape from someone who is holding you: She broke free and started running.
▪ flee written to leave somewhere very quickly in order to escape from danger: Many people were forced to flee the country. | The two men fled before police arrived.
▪ get out to escape from a building or room: I was locked in the room and couldn’t get out.
▪ break out to escape from prison: The jail is so secure that no one has ever broken out of it.
▪ abscond formal to escape from a prison or institution where you are supposed to stay: Three prisoners who absconded have still not been found. | He absconded from a psychiatric hospital.
Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary
escape
es·cape [escape escapes escaped escaping] verb, noun [ɪˈskeɪp] [ɪˈskeɪp]
verb
1. intransitive to get away from a place where you have been kept as a prisoner or not allowed to leave
• Two prisoners have escaped.
• They were caught trying to escape.
• ~ from sb/sth He escaped from prison this morning.
2. intransitive, transitive to get away from an unpleasant or dangerous situation
• ~ (from sth) She managed to escape from the burning car.
• ~ (into sth) (figurative) As a child he would often escape into a dream world of his own.
• ~ sth They were glad to have escaped the clutches of winter for another year.
3. transitive, no passive to avoid sth unpleasant or dangerous
• ~ sth She was lucky to escape punishment.
• The pilot escaped death by seconds.
• There was no escaping the fact that he was overweight.
• ~ doing sth He narrowly escaped being killed.
4. intransitive to suffer no harm or less harm than you would expect
• ~ (with sth) I was lucky to escape with minor injuries.
• + adj. Both drivers escaped unhurt.
5. transitive, no passive ~ sb/sth to be forgotten or not noticed
• Her name escapes me (= I can't remember it).
• It might have escaped your notice, but I'm very busy at the moment.
6. intransitive (of gases, liquids, etc.) to get out of a container, especially through a hole or crack
• Put a lid on to prevent heat escaping.
• toxic waste escaping into the sea
7. transitive, intransitive ~ (sth) (of a sound) to come out from your mouth without you intending it to
• A groan escaped her lips.
Verb forms:
Word Origin:
Middle English: from Old French eschaper, based on medieval Latin ex- ‘out’ + cappa ‘cloak’. Compare with escapade.
Thesaurus:
escape verb I, T, no passive
• She managed to escape from the burning car.
get away • • lose • • elude • • evade •
escape/get away from sb/sth
escape/evade being captured, killed, hit, etc.
escape/get away from/lose/elude/evade your pursuers
escape/elude/evade capture/detection/the police
Example Bank:
• Apparently, they had escaped somehow and gotten home.
• He got hurt while struggling to escape.
• He had managed to escape the clutches of the police yet again.
• I need to escape. I want to go away from here.
• It was easy to escape in the confusion of the besieged city.
• It was stupid of Lee to let them escape.
• Only two of the men escaped alive.
• She eventually escaped to the US.
• She was very lucky to escape with her life.
• The city largely escaped bombing in the campaign.
• The driver escaped without injury.
• The family escaped to England.
• The head of department cannot entirely escape responsibility for this situation.
• The survivors barely escape in whatever ships they can find.
• They escaped into the forest.
• They narrowly escaped being killed in the fire.
• They're so small they can easily escape notice.
• Thieves escaped with property worth over $5 000.
• Tony may never escape his emotional struggle.
• We would always go there to escape from it all.
• a lonely man who wants to escape his lifestyle
• errors that had escaped my notice
• pilots who successfully escaped while their aircraft was being shot down
• As he twisted the pipe a trickle of water escaped.
• Both drivers escaped unhurt.
• He fled the country to escape the king's wrath.
• No man can escape his destiny.
• Scotland seems to have escaped the worst of the recession.
• She managed to escape the fate of the other rebels.
• She only just escaped with her life.
• So far the robbers have escaped justice.
• The container is sealed so the gas has no means of escaping into the air.
• The police will not escape criticism in this affair.
• There was no escaping the fact that he was overweight.
• to escape blame/censure/criticism/sb's wrath
• to escape death/assassination/the massacre/drowning/injury/being hit/the fighting
• to escape detection/capture/arrest/justice/prosecution/conviction/punishment/prison
Idiom: make good your escape
Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary
Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary - 4th Edition
escape / ɪˈskeɪp / verb [ I or T ] (GET FREE)
B1 to get free from something, or to avoid something:
Two prisoners have escaped.
A lion has escaped from its cage.
She was lucky to escape serious injury.
He narrowly (= only just) escaped a fine.
His name escapes me (= I have forgotten his name) .
Nothing important escapes her notice/attention .
escape / ɪˈskeɪp / verb [ I ] specialized (COMPUTER)
to press the key on a computer keyboard that allows you to leave a particular screen and return to the previous one or to interrupt a process:
Escape from this window and return to the main menu.
© Cambridge University Press 2013
Collins Advanced Learner’s English Dictionary
escape
[ɪske͟ɪp]
♦♦
escapes, escaping, escaped
1) VERB: no passive If you escape from a place, you succeed in getting away from it.
[V from n] A prisoner has escaped from a jail in northern England...
[V to n] They are reported to have escaped to the other side of the border...
He was fatally wounded as he tried to escape.
Derived words:
escaped ADJ Officers mistook Stephen for an escaped prisoner.
2) N-COUNT: usu poss N Someone's escape is the act of escaping from a particular place or situation.
The man made his escape.
3) VERB You can say that you escape when you survive something such as an accident.
[V n] The two officers were extremely lucky to escape serious injury...
[V adj] The man's girlfriend managed to escape unhurt...
[V prep] He narrowly escaped with his life when suspected right-wing extremists fired shots into his office.
N-COUNT
Escape is also a noun. I hear you had a very narrow escape on the bridge.
4) N-COUNT: usu sing If something is an escape, it is a way of avoiding difficulties or responsibilities.
But for me television is an escape.
...an escape from the depressing realities of wartime.
5) ADJ: ADJ n You can use escape to describe things which allow you to avoid difficulties or problems. For example, an escape route is an activity or opportunity that lets you improve your situation. An escape clause is part of an agreement that allows you to avoid having to do something that you do not want to do.
We all need the occasional escape route from the boring, routine aspects of our lives...
This has, in fact, turned out to be a wonderful escape clause for dishonest employers everywhere.
6) VERB If something escapes you or escapes your attention, you do not know about it, do not remember it, or do not notice it.
[V n] It was an actor whose name escapes me for the moment...
[V n] Blonde and slender, she was too striking to escape their attention.
7) VERB When gas, liquid, or heat escapes, it comes out from a pipe, container, or place.
Leave a vent open to let some moist air escape.
8) → See also fire escape
Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary
1es·cape /ɪˈskeɪp/ verb -capes; -caped; -cap·ing
1 [no obj]
a : to get away from a place (such as a prison) where you are being held or kept
• The prisoner escaped (from jail).
• an escaped convict [=a convict who has escaped from prison]
b : to get away from a dangerous place or situation
• The boat sank but the crew escaped (unharmed).
• They managed to escape from the burning building.
2 : to get away from something that is difficult or unpleasant
[+ obj]
• 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
[no obj]
• trying to help people to escape from poverty
• This vacation will give us a chance to escape (from the routine of daily life).
• escape from reality
3 : to avoid something : to not experience something (such as disease or injury)
[+ obj]
• He succeeded in escaping punishment for many years.
• A few passengers somehow escaped injury.
• escaped being injured
• She barely/narrowly escaped death/disaster when her car slid off the road.
• Many cases of fraud escape detection. [=are not detected]
[no obj]
• Several passengers escaped without injury.
• She narrowly escaped with her life. [=she narrowly avoided death]
4 [+ obj] : to fail to be remembered or noticed by (someone)
• His name escapes me. [=I can't remember his name]
• Nothing escapes her. = Nothing escapes her notice.
5 [no obj] : to come out from somewhere
• A bit of light escaped through the cracks. : to leak out
• Gas is escaping from the tank.
6 literary : to come out or be spoken without being intended
[+ obj]
• A sigh of relief escaped her. [=she sighed in relief without realizing that she was doing it]
[no obj]
• A sigh escaped from her lips.
escape the ax
- see 1ax
there is no escaping
- used to say that something is certainly true, real, etc., and cannot be avoided or denied
• There's no escaping the conclusion [=it is necessary to conclude] that he lied about his involvement.
• There's no escaping the fact that this system needs to be replaced.