escape
verb/ɪˈskeɪp/
/ɪˈskeɪp/
Verb Forms
Idioms | present simple I / you / we / they escape | /ɪˈskeɪp/ /ɪˈskeɪp/ |
| he / she / it escapes | /ɪˈskeɪps/ /ɪˈskeɪps/ |
| past simple escaped | /ɪˈskeɪpt/ /ɪˈskeɪpt/ |
| past participle escaped | /ɪˈskeɪpt/ /ɪˈskeɪpt/ |
| -ing form escaping | /ɪˈskeɪpɪŋ/ /ɪˈskeɪpɪŋ/ |
- [intransitive, transitive] 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.
- escape from somebody/something He escaped from prison this morning.
- She attempted to escape from the pirates holding her hostage.
- escape somebody/something She managed to escape her captors.
- He escaped prison with two other inmates.
Extra Examples- Apparently, they had escaped somehow and gotten home.
- He got hurt while struggling to escape.
- It was stupid of Lee to let them escape.
- It was easy to escape in the confusion of the besieged city.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb- barely
- just
- narrowly
- …
- cannot
- be impossible to
- be easy to
- …
- from
- into
- to
- …
- escape alive
- escape somebody’s clutches
- escape from it all
- …
- [intransitive, transitive] to get away from or avoid something unpleasant or dangerous
- Although he had no idea what life there would be like, he had to take the chance to escape.
- escape from something She managed to escape from the burning car.
- escape into/to something (figurative) As a child he would often escape into a dream world of his own.
- We were able to escape to the countryside during the summer months.
- escape with something I escaped with only minor injuries.
- + adj. Both drivers escaped unhurt.
- to escape unharmed/uninjured/unscathed
- escape something She was lucky to escape punishment.
- They were glad to have escaped the clutches of winter for another year.
- The pilot escaped death by seconds.
- There was no escaping the fact that he was overweight.
- escape doing something They narrowly escaped being killed.
More Like This Verbs usually followed by -ing formsVerbs usually followed by -ing formsExtra ExamplesTopics Dangerb1- I need to escape. I want to go away from here.
- The survivors barely escape in whatever ships they can find.
- pilots who successfully escaped while their aircraft was being shot down
- Thieves escaped with property worth over $5 000.
- We would always go there to escape from it all.
- She eventually escaped to the US.
- They escaped into the forest.
- She only just escaped with her life.
- The driver escaped without injury.
- Tony may never escape his emotional struggle.
- a lonely man who wants to escape his lifestyle
- He had managed to escape the clutches of the police yet again.
- Scotland seems to have escaped the worst of the recession.
- She managed to escape the fate of the other rebels.
- The city largely escaped bombing in the campaign.
- So far the robbers have escaped justice.
- He fled the country to escape the king's wrath.
- The head of department cannot entirely escape responsibility for this situation.
- The police will not escape criticism in this affair.
- No one can escape their destiny.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb- barely
- just
- narrowly
- …
- cannot
- be impossible to
- be easy to
- …
- from
- into
- to
- …
- escape alive
- escape somebody’s clutches
- escape from it all
- …
- [transitive, no passive] escape somebody/something 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.
Extra Examples- errors that had escaped my notice
- They're so small they can easily escape notice.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb- barely
- just
- narrowly
- …
- cannot
- be impossible to
- be easy to
- …
- from
- into
- to
- …
- escape alive
- escape somebody’s clutches
- escape from it all
- …
- [intransitive] (of gases, liquids, etc.) to get out of a container, especially through a hole
- Put a lid on to prevent heat escaping.
- escape into something toxic waste escaping into the sea
Extra Examples- The container is sealed so the gas has no means of escaping into the air.
- As he twisted the pipe a trickle of water escaped.
- [transitive, intransitive] escape (something) (of a sound) to come out from your mouth without you intending it to
- A groan escaped her lips.
Word OriginMiddle English: from Old French eschaper, based on medieval Latin ex- ‘out’ + cappa ‘cloak’. Compare with escapade.
Idioms
See escape in the Oxford Advanced American DictionarySee escape in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic Englishclose, lock, etc. the barn door after the horse has escaped (North American English)
(British English close, lock, etc. the stable door after the horse has bolted)
- to try to prevent or avoid loss or damage when it is already too late to do so
Check pronunciation:
escape