Definition

1. Noun:

   • A means of leaving a place or situation, especially a dangerous or unpleasant one: "Escape" can refer to the act of getting free from confinement or control, or the method used to achieve this.
   • A temporary distraction from reality or routine: "Escape" also means an activity or form of entertainment that allows you to forget about normal life or problems.
   • A leakage or outflow: In technical contexts, "escape" refers to the accidental release of a gas or liquid from a container.

2. Verb:

   • To get free from confinement or control: The most common meaning, to break away from a place or situation where you are held.
   • To avoid something unpleasant or dangerous: To succeed in avoiding something undesirable, like a threat or an unpleasant duty.
   • To be forgotten or not noticed: To fail to be remembered or to elude someone's notice or understanding.

Usage Examples

• Noun:

  • The prisoners planned their escape from the jail.
  • Reading fiction is my favorite escape from daily stress.
  • There was an escape of gas from the main pipe.

• Verb:

  • The bird managed to escape from its cage.
  • He tried to escape his responsibilities.
  • Her name escapes me at the moment.

Advanced Usage

• "to have a narrow escape": to avoid danger or failure by a very small margin.

  • He had a narrow escape when the car swerved and missed him.

• "escape one's notice/attention": to not be seen or noticed by someone.

  • No detail escapes her notice.

• "escape clause": a part of a contract that allows a person or company to avoid doing something in particular circumstances.

  • The contract included an escape clause in case of a market downturn.

Variants and Related Words

• Escapism (n): the tendency to seek distraction and relief from unpleasant realities, especially through entertainment or fantasy.

  • His constant video gaming is a form of escapism.

• Escapee (n): a person who has escaped from somewhere, especially prison.

  • The police searched for the escapee.

• Escape valve (n): a valve that opens automatically to relieve excessive pressure; (figuratively) an outlet for pent-up emotions or energy.

  • Exercise acts as an escape valve for his frustration.

Synonyms

• Flee: to run away from a place or situation of danger.
• Evade: to escape or avoid, especially by cleverness or trickery.
• Elude: to avoid or escape from (someone or something) in a skillful or cunning way.

Related Phrasal Verbs

• Escape from: to get free from a specific place or situation.

  • They escaped from the burning building.

• Escape to: to go away to a place for relaxation or to avoid something.

  • We need to escape to the countryside this weekend.

Related Idioms

• Make good one's escape: to succeed in escaping.

  • The thief made good his escape through the back alley.

• Escape unscathed: to get away from a dangerous situation without being injured.

  • Miraculously, all passengers escaped unscathed from the crash.

Noun

1. a valve in a container in which pressure can build up (as a steam boiler); it opens automatically when the pressure reaches a dangerous level
2. the discharge of a fluid from some container
   • they tried to stop the escape of gas from the damaged pipe
   • he had to clean up the leak
3. a plant originally cultivated but now growing wild
4. a means or way of escaping
   • hard work was his escape from worry
   • they installed a second hatch as an escape
   • their escape route
5. an avoidance of danger or difficulty
   • that was a narrow escape
6. nonperformance of something distasteful (as by deceit or trickery) that you are supposed to do
   • his evasion of his clear duty was reprehensible
   • that escape from the consequences is possible but unattractive
7. an inclination to retreat from unpleasant realities through diversion or fantasy
   • romantic novels were her escape from the stress of daily life
   • his alcohol problem was a form of escapism
8. the act of escaping physically
   • he made his escape from the mental hospital
   • the canary escaped from its cage
   • his flight was an indication of his guilt

Verb

1. issue or leak, as from a small opening
   • Gas escaped into the bedroom
2. flee; take to one's heels; cut and run
   • If you see this man, run!
   • The burglars escaped before the police showed up
3. remove oneself from a familiar environment, usually for pleasure or diversion
   • We escaped to our summer house for a few days
   • The president of the company never manages to get away during the summer
4. be incomprehensible to; escape understanding by
   • What you are seeing in him eludes me
5. escape potentially unpleasant consequences; get away with a forbidden action
   • She gets away with murder!
   • I couldn't get out from under these responsibilities
6. fail to experience
   • Fortunately, I missed the hurricane
7. run away from confinement
   • The convicted murderer escaped from a high security prison