- [countable, uncountable] the act or a method of escaping from a place or an unpleasant or dangerous situation
- I had a narrow escape (= I was lucky to have escaped).
- He had a lucky escape when his car skidded out of control.
- As soon as he turned his back, she would make her escape.
- escape from something an escape from a prisoner of war camp
- There was no hope of escape from her disastrous marriage.
- He took an elaborate escape route from South Africa to Britain.
Extra ExamplesTopics Dangerb1- A driver had a lucky escape after a brick was dropped on his car from an overhead bridge.
- Celine has been plotting her escape for months.
- He had a narrow escape from gunfire.
- She made her escape through the window.
- He stepped in front of me, blocking my escape.
- I made a hasty escape.
- She looked around for a means of escape.
- The ground became swamped, allowing no escape.
- There was clearly no possibility of escape.
- Together they formulated an escape plan.
- a group of hostages that attempted an escape
- one of the greatest escapes of all time
- the daring escape of a Resistance fighter from prison
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- attempted
- successful
- great
- …
- make
- make good
- plan
- …
- attempt
- bid
- route
- …
- escape from
- a means of escape
- a way of escape
- a possibility of escape
- …
- [singular, uncountable] a way of forgetting something unpleasant or difficult for a short time
- Craig finds escape in dreams.
- escape from something For her, travel was an escape from the boredom of her everyday life.
Extra Examples- For many, the ultimate escape is a tranquil beach filled with white sand.
- This play offered an escape from the everyday.
- city dwellers seeking escape from stress
- young people's need for temporary escape from the demanding journey into adulthood
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- close
- narrow
- near
- …
- have
- plan
- plot
- …
- escape from
- [countable] the fact of a liquid, gas, etc. coming out of a pipe or container by accident; the amount that comes out
- an escape of gas
- [uncountable] (also escape key [countable])(computing) a button on a computer keyboard that you press to stop a particular operation or leave a program
- Press escape to get back to the menu.
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 Englishmake good your escape
- (formal) to manage to escape completely
- He made good his escape from a crowd of journalists by jumping over a barrier.
- I found an open door and made good my escape.
Check pronunciation:
escape