escape

To get away from someone or something dangerous or unpleasant, or avoid being caught or punished.

• We managed to escape the storm.
• The driver escaped punishment because nobody could prove his guilt.
• Can they escape the people chasing them?

How to use it: escape from someone/something (We escaped from the approaching storm.)

Similar words: get away from, avoid, evade

Common phrases: escape danger, escape punishment, escape from someone

To become free from a place or situation that keeps you trapped.

• The bird escaped from its cage.
• We escaped through a small window.
• Two prisoners have escaped during the night.

How to use it: escape from something (The bird escaped from its cage.); escape through something (They escaped through an open window.)

Similar words: get free, break free, get away

Common phrases: escape from something, escape through something, escape captivity, escape from prison

The act of getting away from a dangerous, unpleasant, or restricted situation.

• They made their escape at night.
• We had a narrow escape when the tree fell.
• Her escape from the burning house was caught on camera.

How to use it: escape from something (Their escape from prison took months to plan.)

Similar words: getaway, flight

Common phrases: make an escape, narrow escape, escape from something

A way of getting away from a dangerous or unpleasant situation.

• There was no escape.
• The window offered our only escape from the fire.
• They searched for a possible escape through the mountains.

How to use it: escape from something (There was no escape from the locked room.)

Similar words: way out, exit

Common phrases: no escape, possible escape, escape route

A computer text character with code 27, used to introduce special instructions in a stream of data.

• Insert an escape before the command.
• The terminal received an escape followed by two other characters.
• This program checks each byte for an escape.

Similar words: ESC

Common phrases: escape character, insert an escape, ascii escape